Chahal's divorce fast-tracked despite ₹4 crore alimony issue
What's the story
The Bombay High Court has directed a family court to fast-track cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife Dhanashree Verma's divorce.
The HC ordered that the family court must decide by Thursday, despite concerns over the pending alimony payment. Chahal had agreed to pay ₹4.75 crore as alimony, out of which ₹2.37 crore has been paid so far.
The directive comes as Chahal gears up for his stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning on Saturday.
Waiver granted
High Court waived 'cooling-off period' in Chahal-Verma divorce case
On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court waived the statutory six-month "cooling-off period" for Chahal and Verma's divorce case.
This came after it was observed that the couple had been residing apart for over two years. They had also followed consent terms of alimony payments during mediation.
The HC's ruling overturned a family court order that had denied waiving the statutory period under the Hindu Marriage Act.
Divorce plea
Chahal and Verma's divorce plea was based on mutual consent
During the proceedings of a joint plea filed by the couple earlier this month opposing the February 20 order of the family court, a single-judge bench of Justice Madhav J Jamdar passed the order.
The couple sought divorce on mutual consent. The family court had first cited non-compliance with consent terms for not waiving the cooling-off period.
As mentioned above, Chahal had agreed to pay a permanent alimony of ₹4.75cr to Verma, out of which ₹2.37cr was paid.
Clarification made
Justice Jamdar clarified compliance with consent terms
Clarifying that the couple had adhered to consent terms, Justice Jamdar said that the second installment of permanent alimony was to be granted only upon obtaining the divorce decree.
The couple, who married in December 2020, had been living separately since June 2022. They jointly filed a divorce petition before the family court, accompanied by an application seeking to waive the six-month cooling-off period.