(Image source from: Instagram.com/ihansika)
Bollywood star Hansika Motwani has approached a sessions court in Mumbai, asking for Rs 2 crore in compensation, as she has filed a defamation lawsuit against her estranged sister-in-law, actress Muskan Nancy James. James has accused Hansika and her brother Prashant Motwani of domestic violence. The lawsuit also seeks a court order to stop James from making any more comments against Hansika and calls for a public apology. The complaint, submitted by lawyer Adnan Shaikh, claims that James shared false and harmful information about Hansika on social media to evade repaying a supposed loan of Rs 27 lakh. The petition states that James borrowed this money during her marriage to Hansika’s brother, Prashant Motwani, but has not paid it back despite multiple reminders. Hansika has said that she had little involvement in her brother’s marriage and did not live with them. She insists that the relationship between Prashant and James got worse over time, and she was mostly unaware of their arguments.
The lawsuit refers to James as a "small-time television actor" who supposedly showcased an extravagant lifestyle online while refusing to pay her debts. This legal dispute follows an earlier complaint that James lodged against her husband and Hansika, claiming they were cruel and harassed her. The FIR contained claims of domestic violence, interference in her marriage, and demands for costly gifts during their wedding celebrations. James also asserted that the stress from her marriage caused her to develop Bell’s Palsy, which results in partial facial paralysis. Hansika has denied all the claims in the FIR, asserting that she was not involved in any domestic matters with the couple and cannot be held responsible. Previously, she had approached the Bombay High Court to dismiss the FIR, saying the allegations were unfounded and aimed at harming her reputation. The High Court had responded to her request.
Along with the civil suit, Hansika has filed a criminal defamation case against James in a magistrate court in Andheri, according to the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The disagreement arises from the problematic marriage between Prashant Motwani and James, who tied the knot in 2020 and have reportedly been living apart since 2022. Hansika mentioned that talks of divorce between the couple had already occurred and that she has been living separately with her husband since her own marriage in 2022. The defamation case is expected to be heard in the Dindoshi sessions court soon.
