Hansika Motwani has initiated legal action against her estranged sister-in-law Muskan Nancy James by filing a defamation suit in a Mumbai sessions court, marking the latest development in an ongoing family dispute. The actor has sought damages amounting to Rs. 2 crores, along with a formal public apology and a court directive restraining James from making further statements against her.
The plea, filed through advocate Adnan Shaikh, alleges that Muskan Nancy James made defamatory accusations on social media, including claims of domestic violence involving Hansika and her brother Prashant Motwani. According to the petition, these allegations are baseless and have caused reputational harm.
Central to the dispute is an alleged financial transaction. Hansika Motwani has claimed that Muskan borrowed Rs. 27 lakhs during her marriage to Prashant Motwani and has failed to repay the amount despite repeated follow-ups. The suit contends that the allegations may have been made to avoid repayment of this loan.
The legal conflict follows an earlier FIR lodged by Muskan Nancy James against her husband and Hansika Motwani. In her complaint, James accused them of harassment, cruelty, and interference in her marriage, along with claims related to demands made during wedding functions. She also stated that the stress from the relationship contributed to her developing Bell’s Palsy.
Responding to these accusations, Hansika has denied any involvement, maintaining that she was not part of the couple’s household and had limited interaction with their personal matters. She has consistently asserted that she cannot be held accountable for the allegations made against her.
In addition to the civil suit, Hansika Motwani has also pursued criminal defamation proceedings against Muskan Nancy James before a magistrate’s court in Andheri under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. She had earlier approached the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the FIR filed against her, with the court issuing notice on her plea.
A statement issued on her behalf emphasised that she had been wrongly implicated in the dispute and subjected to sustained defamatory coverage. It reiterated that her involvement in her brother’s marriage was minimal and that the allegations lack judicial backing.
The matter, which stems from the strained marriage between Prashant Motwani and Muskan Nancy James, is now expected to come up for hearing before the Dindoshi sessions court in due course.
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