In a significant development in the divorce case between Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma, the Bombay High Court has allowed the couple to bypass the standard six-month cooling-off period typically required after filing for divorce. The court has instructed the family court to finalize the divorce proceedings by March 20th. This expedited timeline is due to Yuzvendra Chahal’s upcoming participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, starting on March 22nd.
The Bombay High Court overturned an earlier decision by a family court that had denied the request to waive the cooling-off period under the Hindu Marriage Act. Justice Madhav Jamdar’s bench directed the family court to prioritize the divorce petition and conclude it promptly, considering Chahal’s IPL commitments.
Chahal and Verma, who married in December 2020, have been living separately since June 2022. They jointly filed for divorce in February at the Bandra Family Court, also requesting a waiver of the cooling-off period. While the law mandates a six-month period for mutual divorce petitions to allow for reconciliation, the High Court deemed it unnecessary in this case, given their prolonged separation.
The initial family court’s refusal to waive the cooling-off period on February 20th was linked to incomplete compliance with an alimony agreement. Chahal had reportedly agreed to pay Dhanashree Verma Rs 4.75 crore as permanent alimony but had only paid a portion of this amount, Rs 2.37 crore and 55 thousand. The court initially viewed this partial payment as non-compliance.
However, the Bombay High Court, after reviewing the case and noting the couple’s extended separation of over two and a half years, ruled in favor of waiving the cooling-off period. The family court has now been directed to reach a decision on the divorce petition by March 20th, ahead of the IPL season.
