The Delhi Court granted divorce to celebrity chef Kunal Kapur on Tuesday, 2 April, on the grounds of cruelty, citing his estranged wife's "wild allegations" to disrepute him in court's eyes.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the division bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Neena Bansal Krishna ruled that Kapur's wife made allegations of infidelity and extra-marital relations after Kapur gained public attention. However, she failed to provide specific instances or proof beyond photographs, which were based on her presumption of illicit affairs. The court's division bench ruled that Kapur's wife had made wild allegations to discredit him.
In continuation of the report, the bench ruled that the respondent wife made baseless allegations to discredit Kapur in court, in order to get 'favourable outcome'. "Such baseless arguments, when made about a person who is regularly in the public eye, have long lasting effects on his reputation, and tarnishes his image among his peers. Therefore, such an act amounts to cruelty," the court observed.
The High Court upheld Kapur's appeal against a 2018 family court order denying him divorce under the Hindu Marriage Act. The HC ruled that making reckless, defamatory, humiliating, and unsubstantiated allegations against a spouse is considered cruelty. The HC also found that the respondent's conduct towards Kapur was devoid of dignity and empathy, bringing disgrace to the marriage and causing Kapur to endure the agony of living together. The court ruled that Kapur should not be compelled to live while enduring the agony of marriage.
The estranged couple tied the knot in April 2008, and welcomed their son in 2012. Kapur, who was judging Master Chef India at the time, accused his wife of humiliating him and never respecting his parents.
On the other hand, Kapur's wife accused him of making false allegations to mislead the court, claiming that he lacked respect for marriage and was dishonest as a parent. She also claimed she communicated with her husband lovingly and was loyal.
As per the report, she also accused Kapur of conspiring with his parents to force her to commit suicide or take divorce. She claimed that Kapur kept her in the dark and concocted fabricated stories to obtain her divorce.
The bench emphasized that marital discords are inevitable, but disrespect and inconsideration can lead to a loss of marriage's sanctity.
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