Actress Hansika Motwani has been entangled in the legal issue along with her mother Jyoti Motwani after her sister-in-law, Muskan Nancy James, filed a criminal case against the mother-daughter duo. Hansika’s sister-in-law alleged the actress and mother Jyoti of cruelty and harassment.
However, the actress has now moved the Bombay High Court on Thursday to quash the case. She filed a petition in the court and claimed that the FIR was filed against them “as a retaliatory measure”.
In her petition, filed by advocate Drishti Khurana, Hansika Motwani claimed that she had asked Muskan to repay the Rs 27 lakh she had lent them for their wedding expenses.
She said in her petition, “The FIR appears to be a retaliatory measure aimed at pressuring Motwani and her family into a financial settlement in the ongoing matrimonial dispute.” The petition further debunked the allegations of physical assault and verbal abuse, citing a lack of evidence.
Meanwhile, Muskan Nancy has previously claimed that Hansika asked her family for Rs 20 lakh to pay for wedding expenses, luxury gifts, and jewellery. The prosecution alleged that Hansika manipulated Prashant, turning him against her.
She said in her complaint, “She dictated what James could wear, how she should behave, and even tried to interfere with her career choices.”
Nancy further alleged that the Motwanis secretly installed CCTV cameras in Muskan's home to keep tabs on her movements without her knowledge or permission.
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The police complaint accused Hansika, Jyoti, and Prashant Motwani of being cruel to Nancy, hurting her, and threatening her under sections 498A, 323, 504 and 506. Hansika and Jyoti were granted bail in February 2025.
Meanwhile, a division bench consisting of Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice SM Modak has scheduled the next hearing for Hansika Motwani's case on July 3.
For the unversed, Muskan Nancy James, a television actress, was married to Hansika Motwani’s brother, Prashant, in 2021. The couple divorced in December 2022, just after a year of marriage. Subsequently, Muskan filed an FIR with the Amboli Police Station against Hansika and her mother on December 18, 2024.
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