(Image source from: Instagram.com/dhanashree9)
A significant update has surfaced regarding the divorce proceedings involving Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged spouse, Dhanashree Verma. The Bombay High Court has granted permission for the couple to bypass the usual six-month cooling-off period following their divorce. The esteemed court has instructed the family court to reach a decision regarding the divorce request before March 20, correlating with Chahal's upcoming participation in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning March 22. As reported by Bar and Bench on X, the Bombay High Court has reversed a prior family court ruling that had denied the couple's request to forgo the mandatory cooling-off interval stipulated by the Hindu Marriage Act. Justice Madhav Jamdar's bench ordered the family court to resolve the divorce application swiftly due to the IPL schedule.
Bar and Bench highlighted that Chahal and Verma, who wed in December 2020, have been separated since June 2022. It was not until February of this year that they chose to submit their divorce application to the Bandra Family Court. Together with their petition, they also requested to waive the cooling-off period. According to Section 13B(2), a family court can consider a petition for divorce by mutual consent only after a six-month waiting period from its submission. This cooling-off period serves to allow couples the opportunity to reconcile. However, given that Chahal and Dhanashree have been apart for more than two years, the Bombay High Court determined that the cooling-off stipulation was not applicable in their situation. Their plea was filed under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, indicating a mutual agreement for divorce. The situation became more convoluted when, on February 20, the court denied the request to waive the six-month period, citing insufficient compliance with a consent agreement between the two.
Under this agreement, Chahal was to pay his estranged wife a total of ₹4 crore 75 lakhs as permanent alimony. Nonetheless, it has been reported that he has only paid ₹2 crore 37 lakhs and 55 thousand so far. The court viewed the outstanding balance as a lack of compliance, leading to the rejection of the plea to waive the cooling-off period. The family court arrived at its conclusion after reviewing a report from a family counselor, which underscored issues of non-compliance. On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court observed that the couple had already spent over two and a half years apart, supporting a determination to adhere to the consent terms concerning the remaining payment. The family court has been instructed to conclude its decision regarding the divorce petition by Thursday (March 20), in light of the impending IPL season.
