High Court speeds up Chahal divorce plea

The Bombay High Court directed the Bandra Magistrate Court to decide the divorce case of Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife Dhanashree Verma by Thursday, March 20. A bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar ordered the family court to speed up the process, considering the Indian cricketer's commitments with the Indian Premier League.

Chahal and Dhanashree had filed a divorce petition before the family court on February 5, seeking divorce by mutual consent. However, the family court had refused to waive the six-month cooling-off period on February 20. Chahal and Dhanashree have been living apart since June 2022, 18 months after their marriage.

The court cited partial compliance with the consent terms, which required Chahal to pay Rs 4.75 crore to Dhanashree. He had paid Rs 2.37 crore, the court noted. Additionally, the family court referenced a report from the marriage counsellor, which indicated that mediation efforts had only been partially complied with.

Chahal and Dhanashree subsequently filed a joint plea in the High Court, challenging the family court’s decision in Mumbai. Under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, a six-month cooling-off period is mandatory before granting a divorce decree. This period is intended to allow the parties time to explore the possibility of reconciliation. However, it can be waived in cases where there is no likelihood of settlement.

Justice Jamdar waived the cooling-off period, considering that Chahal and Verma had been living separately for over two and a half years and that the consent terms agreed upon during mediation, particularly concerning the payment of alimony had been complied with.

During the hearing, Justice Jamdar observed that "this was a rare case where there were no respondents," as both Chahal and Verma had jointly filed the petition. The High Court further noted that the consent terms had been adhered to, as they stipulated that the second installment of permanent alimony would only be paid after the divorce decree was granted.