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In a temporary restraint order, the High Court of Bombay has stayed any other defamatory comments to be uttered or written by Vidnyan Mane, who says that he was a childhood acquaintance to Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana, against the singer-composer Palaash Muchhal (also known as Palash Muchhal) and his family. The order was issued on February 11, 2026 (publicity leaked around the period between February 13, 2026 to February 15, 2026) in a libel case brought by Muchhal against substantial damages (ranging from 10 crore to 11 crore).

The scandal is based on the incendiary claims of Mane in media interviews and statements after Muchhal was cancelled in his planned wedding to Smriti Mandhana in November 2025. Mane accused Muchhal of infidelity, saying he was found with his hands in his bed with another woman at a wedding, and physical assault by the friends of Mandhana. He further alleged a different financial quarrel, that Muchhal cheated him 40 lakh of money over a proposed film venture, and he alleged he had filed a complaint at Sangli.

Muchhal denied all the claims as being baseless, false, and of a media mileage. His attorney Advocate Shreyansh Mithare termed the allegations as unproven and initiated the suit as a defense of the reputation of his client. Such statements have also been pursued by Muchhal who is also seeking a permanent injunction.

The court of justice headed by Justice, Milind Jadhav noted that the remarks of Mane were prima facie insinuating and per se defamatory, and especially given that they concerned the personal life of Muchhal and his family members without any bearing on the commercial conflict itself. The court observed that unbridled utterance by the populace would create a permanent damage to esteem and dignity. It instructed Mane to stop making such comments in the future, no matter the interview or in the social media or any platform.

The permission is a temporary one to Muchhal as the case is being processed. Mane has been allowed another two weeks to submit a response and prove his allegations. The case stands to have additional hearings in March 2026.

This is one of the major victories of Muchhal in the light of high-profile fallouts of his cancelled engagement to one of the lead cricketers in India. The case underscores how personal relations, pubic accusations and the law intertwine issues in celebrity scandals. Both Smriti Mandhana and her family have not come out to comment on the issue.

The court decision in respect of protecting the reputation of people against unproven charges is further highlighted in the case of defamation that is going on.