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MasterChef India judge and celebrity chef Kunal Kapur was earlier granted a divorce from his wife, Ekta Kapur, on grounds of 'cruelty'. However, the Supreme Court has now temporarily halted the Delhi High Court's order granting the divorce after his estranged wife appealed to the top court.
The matter was heard by Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatt, who stated that the case has now been referred to the Supreme Court Mediation Center for a possible settlement.
Meanwhile, Kunal had accused his estranged wife of disrespect and humiliation. He claimed that Ekta ‘consistently failed to respect his parents and subjected him to public embarrassment.’
However, denying the claims, Ekta accused Kunal of making false allegations to mislead the court and stated that she always tried to communicate with him like a loving spouse and was loyal to him. She also mentioned that she sacrificed her career to support Kapur and his family.
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The couple was granted divorce when Ekta failed to provide proof to the court to back her claims. The bench noted, "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."
"We find that conduct of the respondent towards appellant has been such that it is devoid of dignity and empathy towards him. When such is the nature of one spouse towards the other, it brings disgrace to the very essence of marriage," the bench added.
Meanwhile, Kunal and Ekta tied the knot in April 2008. The duo also has a son who was born to them in 2012.
