Music composer and filmmaker Palaash Muchhal has landed in fresh legal trouble after a case was reportedly registered against him in Maharashtra’s Sangli district under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The complaint was filed by Vidnyan Mane, who is said to be a childhood friend of Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana, at the Sangli City Police Station.
Allegations of Investment and Casteist Slurs
Speaking about the dispute, Mane alleged that he had invested money in Palaash’s film project after being approached by the composer-filmmaker. “Palaash asked me to come on board as an investor for his movie Nazariya, after his producer’s father passed away and he left the movie midway. He promised to give me profits. He owes me Rs 25 lakhs. I kept following up with him, but he never legalised it and after a point stopped responding. When I met him, I asked him again for my money, and he made a few casteist slurs and he also said, 'People in Madhya Pradesh don’t even stand people like you (from your caste),'” Mane shared.
Details of the Incident
According to Mane, the alleged incident dates back to November 22, when an argument reportedly broke out between Mane and Muchhal at a toll plaza on the Sangli–Ashta road. Mane has accused Muchhal of using casteist remarks during the altercation, following which police booked the composer under relevant sections of the SC/ST Act along with provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Mane added, “He should be arrested soon, it is a nonbailable offense.” An investigation is currently underway.
Police Response
When contacted, Police Inspector Arun Sugaonkar said, “There needs to be no arrest warrant when an act of atrocity case has been filed. But he can be arrested. We didn’t go to his place at the moment. We are currently investigating the matter, and we cannot say much.” The police have not yet made any arrests, and the investigation is in its early stages.
We reached out to Palaash Muchhal for a response, but he remained unavailable until the time of going to press. The case has drawn significant attention due to the involvement of a public figure and the serious nature of the allegations under the SC/ST Act, which provides for stringent punishment for offenses against members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
