- Saturday, April 05, 2025
By: Vibhuti Pathak
Actor Hansika Motwani, along with her mother Jyoti Motwani, has moved the Bombay High Court seeking to quash an FIR filed by her sister-in-law Muskan Nancy James, alleging cruelty and harassment under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR, registered at Mumbai’s Amboli police station on December 18, 2024, includes serious charges under Sections 498A (cruelty against a woman), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intention).
According to the petition filed by Hansika Motwani, she expressed shock over being named in the FIR, asserting that the matrimonial discord between her brother Prashant Motwani and his wife, James, had already been settled in 2022 after a mutual divorce discussion. The actress emphasized that the FIR has been filed “out of malice” and is a retaliatory act.
James, a television actress herself, married Hansika’s brother Prashant Motwani in December 2020. However, the couple parted ways in December 2022. In her complaint, James has alleged that Hansika demanded expensive gifts such as fancy watches, exotic fruits, and dry fruits during their Roka and wedding ceremonies. Furthermore, she claims she was forced to sell her flat and contribute ₹20 lakh towards an extravagant wedding venue in Udaipur.
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In the petition, Hansika Motwani’s legal team argues that the real motive behind the FIR is financial pressure. It states, “The FIR has been filed with an inordinate delay, as the allegations span from December 2020 to May 2024, yet the complaint was lodged in December 2024. The absence of any prior police complaint, legal action, or medical records during this period raises serious doubts about the authenticity of the allegations.”
It further mentions that the dispute emerged because Hansika demanded ₹27 lakh that she had allegedly loaned to her brother and Ms. James for their wedding. The petition calls the complaint a tool for coercion, stating, “The FIR appears to be a retaliatory measure aimed at pressuring the petitioner (Ms. Hansika Motwani) and her family into a financial settlement in the ongoing matrimonial dispute. The allegations of physical assault and verbal abuse are unsubstantiated and lack any supporting evidence. The accusations regarding financial exploitation and dowry demands are vague and inconsistent.”
On April 3, a Division Bench comprising Justices Sarang Kotwal and S.M. Modak heard the matter and issued a notice to Ms. James, with the next hearing scheduled for July 3, 2025. This court development has added another legal layer to what seems like a long-standing family feud.
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Earlier, in February 2025, Hansika Motwani and her mother were granted anticipatory bail by a Mumbai sessions court, safeguarding them from arrest in the case. Their counsel, Advocate Adnan Shaikh, informed that on April 1, 2025, the sessions court also allowed Hansika and her mother to travel abroad for work commitments.
This ongoing legal battle has drawn public and media attention, not just because of the serious charges under Section 498A, but also due to Hansika Motwani’s celebrity status. As the July hearing approaches, both the entertainment industry and the legal world await further updates on the matter.
With this case, Hansika Motwani’s name once again grabs headlines, this time not for her films or public appearances, but for a family dispute turning into a full-blown legal confrontation involving allegations of cruelty, dowry, and financial extortion.
