Palash Muchhal’s cousin defends him against cheating allegations after delay in wedding with Smriti Mandhana
Ever since cricketer Smriti Mandhana and music composer Palash Muchhal’s wedding was put on hold following health concerns related to Smriti’s father, the rumour mill has been in overdrive. Social media is buzzing with unverified rumours, including claims that Palash cheated on Smriti. Amid the chatter, Palash’s cousin has now stepped in to defend him.
Palash’s cousin comes to support him
Adding a new twist to it all, an Instagram user named Mary D’Costa shared screenshots on Reddit alleging that they are her private chats with Palash. Although the account, along with its display picture, has since been deactivated, the screenshots continue to circulate widely across social media. Their emergence has further chatter and intensified speculation about Palash apparently cheating on Smriti.
Now, Palash’s cousin Neeti Tak has come forward to defend him, and ask people not to judge him based on some rumours.
“Palash is going through a critical condition today, you all should not judge Palash as wrong without knowing the truth,” Palash’s cousin wrote in a note posted on her Instagram Stories.
She added, “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 the moment, Palash is also admitted in a hospital in Mumbai. Sometime back, Palash’s sister Palak also took to Instagram to confirm the postponement of the wedding, urging for some privacy. Palash and Smriti were supposed to tie the knot on November 23.
“Due to Smriti’s father’s health, Smriti and Palash’s wedding has been put on hold. We would request all of you to respect the privacy of the families during this sensitive time,” she wrote on Instagram.
About Palash and Smriti
On the wedding day, cricketer Smriti Mandhana’s father, Shrinivas Mandhana, fell ill and was rushed to Sarvhit Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Sangli after he suffered heart attack-like symptoms.
Palash was also admitted to a hospital in Sangli a day later. Palash’s mother told Hindustan Times that Palash is very close to Smriti’s father and when he fell ill, Palash decided they should not go ahead with the wedding rituals until he gets better. Amita shared, “Since haldi was done, we didn’t let him go outside. Rote rote ek dum tabiyat karab ho gai. 4 ghante hospital mein rakhna padha. IV drip chadi, ECG hua aur dosre tests hoye. Sab normal aaye but stress bahut hai (He cried so much that his health suddenly deteriorated. They kept him in the hospital for four hours. He was given an IV drip, an ECG was done, and other tests were carried out. Everything came back normal, but he is under a lot of stress).”
Smriti has deleted all wedding-related posts from her Instagram, raising eye-brows. Smriti and Palash started dating in 2019. They kept things quiet for a long time and only went public in July 2024, when they posted an anniversary picture marking five years together.