New Delhi: The Supreme Court has temporarily halted a Delhi High Court order that granted a divorce to celebrity chef Kunal Kapur on the grounds of cruelty by his estranged wife. On Tuesday, a bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti issued a notice to Kapur in response to a petition filed by his wife.

The case has been referred to the Supreme Court Mediation Centre to explore the possibility of a settlement. Kapur and his wife were married in April 2008 and have a 12-year-old son. The Delhi High Court had granted the divorce in April, citing that Kapur's wife's behavior towards him was "devoid of dignity and empathy." Kapur, known for his role as a judge on the television show 'MasterChef India,' accused his wife of disrespecting his parents and humiliating him. He also alleged that she frequently called the police and threatened to spread false rumors about him. Kapur further claimed that during a 'MasterChef India' shoot in 2016, his wife disrupted the studio with their son, creating a scene.

In her defense, Kapur's wife accused him of making false allegations and stated that she had sacrificed her career for her husband and family, remaining loyal throughout. She also claimed that she faced taunts from her in-laws for working outside the home and not doing household chores. Additionally, she alleged that Kapur deceived her with fabricated stories to secure a divorce.

The Delhi High Court, while ruling in Kapur's favor, stated that making reckless, defamatory, humiliating, and unsubstantiated allegations against a spouse in public constituted cruelty. The court noted, "When such is the nature of one spouse towards the other, it brings disgrace to the very essence of marriage and there exists no possible reason as to why he should be compelled to live while enduring the agony of living together."

PM Modi: India Will Become the Third-Largest Economy in My Third Term

India Stands Firm on Rejecting Chinese FDI, Considers EU Carbon Tax: Piyush Goyal

The Shift in Banking Jobs: How Digitalization is Changing the Financial Sector