World
India
In a significant legal development, the Bombay High Court has granted Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his estranged wife Dhanashree Verma permission to waive the mandatory six-month cooling-off period for their divorce.
The court has directed the family court to finalize their divorce proceedings by March 20, considering Chahal’s participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which begins on March 22.
Court Overturns Family Court Decision
The legal news platform Bar and Bench shared the update on X (formerly Twitter), reporting that the Bombay High Court overturned a prior Family Court ruling that had denied the couple’s request to waive the cooling-off period.
The court’s decision was delivered by Justice Madhav Jamdar, who instructed the Bandra Family Court to expedite the process.
#Breaking Bombay High Court has overturned a Family Court decision that denied the request to waive the statutory cooling-off period for the divorce of cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma under the Hindu Marriage Act.#BombayHC #YuzvendraChahal pic.twitter.com/5hdwLFEtIM
— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) March 19, 2025
Background of the Divorce Case
Marriage & Separation: Chahal and Dhanashree tied the knot in December 2020 but have been living separately since June 2022.
Divorce Filing: The couple filed for a mutual divorce under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act in February 2025 and simultaneously requested a waiver of the cooling-off period.
Legal Requirement: As per Section 13B(2) of the Hindu Marriage Act, a family court can only process a mutual divorce petition after six months, allowing time for reconciliation. However, given that Chahal and Dhanashree have already been apart for over two and a half years, the High Court deemed the cooling-off period unnecessary.
Alimony Payment Dispute Complicated the Case
Initially, the family court refused to grant the waiver on February 20, citing non-compliance with the agreed-upon financial terms between Chahal and Dhanashree.
As part of the divorce settlement, Chahal had committed to paying Rs 4.75 crore as permanent alimony to Dhanashree.
However, he had only transferred Rs 2.37 crore, leading the court to view this as partial compliance and reject the cooling-off waiver.
High Court Rules in Favor of Yuzvendra and Dhanashree
On March 19, the Bombay High Court reviewed the case and ruled in favor of the couple. The court noted that their prolonged separation and partial payment already indicated compliance with the consent terms, allowing them to proceed with the divorce without further delay.
Given that IPL 2025 is set to begin on March 22, the family court has been directed to finalize the divorce by March 20. This decision ensures that Chahal, who will represent Punjab Kings, can focus on his cricketing commitments without legal distractions.
This case marks a rare instance where the cooling-off period has been waived due to unique circumstances, reaffirming the court’s ability to adapt rulings based on the realities of individual cases.
