Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday issued a significant ruling in the divorce case of Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife, Dhanashree Verma. The court approved their plea to waive the six-month cooling-off period stipulated under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act.
A single-judge bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar passed the order and directed the family court to finalize the divorce proceedings by tomorrow, considering Chahal’s participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
Why Was the Cooling-Off Period Waived?
The court took this decision after considering that Chahal and Dhanashree have been living separately for over two and a half years. Moreover, both parties had complied with the consent terms agreed upon during mediation, including the payment of alimony.
Under Section 13B(2) of the Hindu Marriage Act, a family court can consider a mutual divorce petition only after six months from the date of filing. This cooling-off period is meant to allow time for reconciliation between the couple.
However, in 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that this period could be waived if there is no possibility of settlement between the parties.
What is the Background of the Case?
Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma got married in December 2020 but separated in June 2022.
On February 5, 2024, they jointly filed a divorce petition in the family court, seeking mutual separation and requesting a waiver of the cooling-off period.
However, on February 20, the family court denied their request, stating that only partial compliance with the consent terms had been met. The court noted that Chahal was required to pay ₹4.75 crore as alimony to Dhanashree but had paid only ₹2.37 crore so far.
Additionally, a report by the marriage counselor stated that mediation efforts had only been partially fulfilled.
High Court’s Final Verdict
Following this, Chahal and Dhanashree approached the Bombay High Court. The High Court observed that, as per the consent terms, the second installment of alimony was to be paid only after the divorce decree was granted.
On this basis, the High Court waived the cooling-off period and directed the family court to decide the case by tomorrow.
Now, the family court will deliver its final decision on their divorce case on Thursday.
