Palash Muchhal's cousin defends him amidst cheating allegations with Smriti Mandhana: ‘People should not judge Palash’

Amid the noise and confusion, a member of his own family has now stepped forward in his defense.

Smriti Mandhana and music composer Palash Muchhal’s wedding was abruptly put on hold after her father was hospitalised on the very day they were meant to get married. And since then, the couple has found itself at the centre of intense public scrutiny.

What began as a family medical emergency soon turned into a swirl of online rumours, with Palash unexpectedly becoming the focal point after social media exploded with unverified claims accusing him of cheating on Smriti.

Amid the noise and confusion, a member of his own family has now stepped forward in his defense.

Recently, an Instagram user named Mary D’Costa shared screenshots on Reddit, alleging they were private chats with Palash. Though the account—and even its display picture—has since been deactivated, the screenshots continue to circulate across platforms. Their sudden appearance has only heightened speculation and fuelled talk of Palash allegedly being unfaithful, despite the fact that none of these claims have been verified.

As the online chatter grew louder, Palash’s cousin, Neeti Tak, broke her silence and urged people to refrain from jumping to conclusions. In a note posted on her Instagram Stories, she wrote, “Palash is going through a critical condition today, you all should not judge Palash as wrong without knowing the truth.”

In another line, she reminded people to be mindful and compassionate: “Technology today has come much ahead of humans, that is why people should not judge Palash in the face of rumours… pray for him.”

At present, Palash himself is admitted to a hospital in Mumbai. Earlier, his sister Palak had also addressed the situation on Instagram, confirming that the wedding had indeed been postponed and requesting privacy for the family during this difficult phase. Palash and Smriti were originally set to get married on November 23.

On the morning of the wedding, Smriti’s father, Shrinivas Mandhana, was rushed to Sarvhit Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Sangli with heart attack-like symptoms. A day later, even Palash had to be hospitalised in Sangli. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Palash’s mother shared that Palash is extremely close to Smriti’s father, and once he fell ill, Palash felt it would be inappropriate to continue with the wedding rituals until he recovered.

Meanwhile, Smriti’s recent move of deleting all wedding-related posts from her Instagram has only intensified curiosity and raised fresh questions among fans and followers.