.jpg?width=1200)
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday waived the mandatory six-month cooling-off period after the filing of a divorce plea by cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife, Dhanashree Verma. The court directed the family court to decide their divorce plea by March 20 (Thursday).
Observation Made By Justice Madhav Jamdar
Justice Madhav Jamdar noted that Chahal would not be available from March 21 due to his participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). “As the petitioner No 1 (Chahal) is a participant of IPL, the advocate informs that he may not be available post March 21. The family court is hence requested to decide their divorce plea by tomorrow (March 20),” Justice Jamdar said.
About The Order
The HC order came while allowing the couple’s petition seeking a waiver of the six-month cooling-off period mandated under the Hindu Marriage Act. They had approached the high court after the family court rejected their plea for the waiver.
The court granted relief, considering that Chahal and Verma had been living separately for over two and a half years and that there was compliance with the consent terms arrived at during mediation regarding the payment of alimony.
As per 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, allowing time to explore the possibility of reconciliation. However, in 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that this period could be waived if there was no scope for settlement.
Chahal and Verma, who married in December 2020, separated in June 2022. They filed for divorce in the family court on February 5, 2025, seeking a waiver of the cooling-off period as their divorce was by mutual consent.
On February 20, the family court declined their request, citing only partial compliance with the consent terms. The court noted that Chahal had agreed to pay Verma Rs 4.75 crore as alimony but had only paid Rs 2.37 crore so far. Additionally, the marriage counselor’s report also cited partial compliance with mediation efforts.
Following this, the couple challenged the order in the high court.
The HC granted the waiver, noting that the consent terms provided for the payment of the second installment of permanent alimony only after the divorce decree was granted.
Chahal’s advocate, Nitin Gupta, said they would now be approaching the family court for the final decree.
