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From once being on Forbes’ Billionaire list, Byju Raveendran’s net worth plummets to zero

OpIndia Staff
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From once being on Forbes’ Billionaire list, Byju Raveendran’s net worth plummets to zero

A year ago, Byju Raveendran’s net worth stood at ₹17,545 crore ($2.1 billion), earning him a place in numerous prestigious ‘world’s richest’ compilations. However, the recently unveiled Forbes Billionaire Index 2024 reports a significant drop to zero in Mr Raveendran’s net worth.

This sharp decline follows a series of crises that have shaken the once soaring startup, representing a notable fall from grace for the face of India’s startup landscape.

In acknowledging Byju’s removal from the list, Forbes stated, “Only four individuals from last year’s roster are absent this time, among them former edtech sensation Byju Raveendran, whose company Byju’s faced multiple crises, leading to a valuation markdown by BlackRock to $1 billion, a fraction of its peak $22 billion valuation in 2022.”

Established in 2011, Byju’s swiftly rose to become India’s most valuable startup, achieving a peak valuation of $22 billion in 2022. Raveendran’s brainchild disrupted the education sector with its innovative learning application, catering for elementary school to MBA students. However, recent financial disclosures and mounting controversies have severely impacted the company’s prosperity.

Byju’s challenges became evident when the company finally disclosed its long-awaited results for the fiscal year concluding in March 2022, revealing a staggering net loss surpassing $1 billion. This disappointing financial performance prompted BlackRock, a significant investor, to reduce its valuation of Byju’s to a mere $1 billion, marking a steep decline from its previous peak.

Byju Raveendran has faced substantial criticism for the company’s dwindling fortunes. Shareholders, including Prosus NV and Peak XV Partners, voted last month to remove Mr Raveendran as CEO, intensifying a struggle over the fate of the once high-flying online tutoring startup that is striving to sustain its operations.

Furthermore, Byju’s foreign investments have drawn scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate. Before the lookout circular against its founder, the ED issued show cause notices to Byju’s parent firm, Think & Learn, over alleged violations amounting to over ₹9,362 crores under the Foreign Exchange Management Act.

Delhi Court directs Tihar Jail Authority to provide electric kettle, table, chair to Arvind Kejriwal, earlier allowed books, religious locket and special diet

ANI
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Delhi Court directs Tihar Jail Authority to provide electric kettle, table, chair to Arvind Kejriwal, earlier allowed books, religious locket and special diet

The Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday allowed Arvind Kejriwal’s plea and directed Tihar jail authorities to provide an electric kettle to him and a table and chair for reading books, etc.

The Special Judge, Kaveri Baweja, on Wednesday allowed Kejriwal’s application

in view his medical condition and noted that electric kettle was required for heating water and for having tea, which he requires at frequent intervals.

The same court on April 1, 2024, sent the Delhi Chief Minister to judicial custody till April 15 in the excise policy money laundering case.

The Court on April 1, had directed Tihar Jail Authorities to allow Kejriwal to carry prescribed medicine, books, one table and chair, religious locket and special diet as prescribed by the doctors, as per Jail manual.

Kejriwal, through his lawyers, moved an application and sought permission to carry several books, including Bagwad Geeta, Ramayana and a book titled ‘How Prime Minister Decides’, authored by Neerja Chaudhary

Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to the excise policy case and has spent 10 days in ED custody, after court direction.

Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency on charges of corruption in relation to the case. It is the first time in independent India that a serving Chief Minister has been arrested. The move came after Kejriwal skipped multiple summons by the investigation agency, nine in total, calling them “illegal.”

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy 2022, which was later scrapped.

While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair.

Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

More trouble for AAP, court takes cognizance of chargesheet filed by the ED in Delhi Jal Board scam case

OpIndia Staff
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More trouble for AAP, court takes cognizance of chargesheet filed by the ED in Delhi Jal Board scam case

The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi on 3rd April accepted the prosecution complaint submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi Jal Board tender money laundering case. The move could result in creating further challenges for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration. The agency arrested Kejriwal on 21st March in connection to the excise policy scam.

“From the material placed on record, it appears that all the accused persons/Company are either directly or indirectly found to be indulged or knowingly assisted or have been a party to or actually involved in the process or activities relating to the relation of the proceeds of crime or its concealment, possession, acquisition, use and projecting or claiming the same as untainted property. In the opinion of the court, there is sufficient material on record to proceed against the accused persons for the charges mentioned against them in the complaint.” Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge Bhupinder Singh pronounced will reading the order.

Special Public Prosecutors (SPP) Manish Jain and Advocate Ishan Baisla represented the ED before Special CBI Judge Bhupinder Singh while Advocate Nagesh Kumar Behl on behalf of the accused contractor. Attorney Behl contended before the Special CBI Judge that the ED could only become involved if there was a scheduled offence but in this case, it was only based on a CBI-filed FIR (First Information Report).

Additionally, he claimed in the remand request that the ED had purposefully misled the court by leaving out the dates of alleged transactions with Jagdish Kumar Arora. All of the accused who were not apprehended during the probe have now been summoned by the court on 4th April. A production warrant was also issued by the court, requiring the accused who were captured in the case to appear in court on the same day.

Delhi Jal Board money laundering scam

The Delhi Jal Board’s tender awarding method reportedly involved money laundering. Among those named in the ED’s chargesheet are Jagdish Kumar Arora, Anil Kumar Aggarwal and chartered accountant Tajendra Singh. Jagdish Arora and Anil Aggarwal were taken into custody by the agency on 31st January last year.

According to the Enforcement Directorate, NKG Infrastructure Limited was given the flow meter contract by Jagdish Kumar Arora, the former Chief Engineer of Delhi Jal Board, at an “inflated cost” of Rs 38 crore. The ED discovered throughout the inquiry that M/S NKG Infrastructure Ltd submitted falsified or misleading documents to secure the bid. It has been also revealed that Jagdish Kumar Arora knew the company didn’t match the technical requirements for the tender. Moreover, the ED disclosed that Anil Kumar Aggarwal’s sole proprietorship, M/S Integral Screws Ltd, was the recipient of the assignment subcontracted by M/S NKG Infrastructure Ltd.

It was also observed that only about Rs 14 crore of the Rs 24 crore payment that the Delhi Jal Board obtained was utilized for the contract work and the remaining amount was either misappropriated or spent as bribes. The ED further underlined that Jagdish Kumar Arora was paid a bribe of Rs. 3.19 crore, a portion of which he transferred to other Delhi Jal Board officials and the AAP to employ it in polls. According to the agency, Jagdish Kumar Arora, the former chief engineer of the Delhi Jal Board, “transferred” Rs 2 crore in bribe money to his departmental colleagues and the AAP for use as election finances.

The new money-laundering case is the result of a First Investigation Report that was filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation highlighting scheduled violations pertaining to bribery and corruption in the Delhi Jal Board under AAP. The ED announced that it had temporarily attached assets belonging to Jagdish Kumar Arora, his wife Alka Arora, Anil Kumar Aggarwal (proprietor of Integral Screw Industries, a subcontractor), and NKG Infrastructure Limited (contractor of Delhi Jal Board) totalling Rs 8.8 crore. The investigation team noted that all of these properties were situated in Delhi.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha announces Jana Mahapanchayat across India to protest against BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls

ANI
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Samyukt Kisan Morcha announces Jana Mahapanchayat across India to protest against BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha has called up the organisations and platforms of farmers, workers, students, youth, women and other sections including small traders, journalists, professionals, retired workers etc to join hands to convene Jana Mahapanchayat across India asking BJP to explain why farmers peaceful protest was stopped by the Union Government.

According to SKM, the Jana Mahapanchayat will appeal to people to discuss the livelihood issues- Agrarian Crisis, Minimum Support Price, loan waiver, unemployment, Labour Codes and privatisation of the public sector among others replacing the Ayodhya, religious disputes and narratives on corporate development by the RSS-BJP combine that divert the attention from the real issues of the people.

The Jana Mahapanchayat will appeal to all the people to stamp out the trends of dictatorship being exhibited by the Modi Govt. and protect the democratic, secular, and federal principles enshrined in the constitution of India.

“The Union Govt. stopped farmers from peacefully marching to the capital at Delhi borders during the 13-month period in which 736 farmers became martyrs. Peaceful protest to put pressure on the elected government is the democratic right of the citizens as enshrined in the Constitution of India and endorsed by the Supreme Court.” the release said.

The Delhi Police detained 400 farmers from Karnataka at Nizamuddin Railway station in Delhi and prevented them from attending the Mahapanchayat on March 14, 2024, at Ramlila Ground.

The Delhi Police ordered Delhi Gurudwaras not to serve langar, or provide shelter to farmers thus blocking them from holding high their great tradition of selfless service to humanity.

“Even today, the farmers are blocked at the Haryana border and the Haryana state government led by BJP had killed Shubkaran Singh a young farmer on 21st February 2024. The BJP has given Kheri seat to Ajay Mishra Teni, the main conspirator of the Lakhimpur Kheri farmers’ massacre. BJP has become the political agent of Corporate – Communal- Criminal -Corrupt Nexus that controls the political economy of India. Posters and banners will be put up in the villages raising these questions to the BJP.” the release from SKM read.

The Sikkim Kisan Morcha said that the Prime Minister never called the farmer’s representatives to discuss the burning issues raised during the 13-month-long historic farmers’ struggle and the governance in the last ten years reveals the dictatorial tendencies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the SKM release.

“Though the model code of conduct has come into force, the Modi government has dared to arrest and jail the opposition leaders including Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren, the chief ministers of Delhi and Jharkhand respectively, seized the accounts of the opposition political parties and the Enforcement Directorate summons the candidates of opposition political parties on pending cases thus denying the level playing ground to the opposition. The situation brings apprehension on the Election Commission of India, the statutory institution, whether the election will be conducted in a fair and trustworthy manner.” SKM added.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Next who?’: Boxer Vijender Singh’s switch from Congress to BJP triggers a meme fest

OpIndia Staff
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‘Next who?’: Boxer Vijender Singh’s switch from Congress to BJP triggers a meme fest

Former Congress leader Vijender Singh on Wednesday joined the BJP. Singh had joined the Congress party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and contested the polls. He joined the BJP today in the presence of several senior BJP leaders in Delhi.

However, no sooner did Singh join the BJP than a raft of social media followers, especially on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared hilarious memes on the switch that few expected, just days before the Lok Sabha elections and a few weeks after Singh participated in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, where he was seen with Rahul Gandhi.

Several social media users shared amusing memes after Singh’s induction into the BJP.

An X user shared a meme from the movie ‘PK’ to question who will be the next Congress leader to join the BJP.

@GaurangBhardwa1, a popular X user, shared a meme mocking Congress sympathiser and YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh, who had smugly claimed four days ago that Vijender would be the Congress candidate from the Mathura seat to fight against BJP’s Hema Malini.

Another X user shared Vijender Singh’s picture with Rahul Gandhi and said: “BJP’s star campaigner with a newly inducted member.”

A social media user said Rahul Gandhi ran away to Wayanad, and Vijender Singh joined the BJP.

Many others, too, took a dig at Vijender Singh’s switch from Congress to the BJP.

Interestingly, when a journalist asked Singh why caused the change of heart just a day after he had reposted Rahul Gandhi’s tweets mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Olympic medalist remarked that he realised that he was on the “incorrect platform” upon waking up.

In the video that has gone viral now, Singh can be heard stating that after he shared Rahul Gandhi’s post criticising PM Modi, he went to sleep and woke up realising he was on the “wrong platform.” Subsequently, he decided to join the BJP.

After joining the party, Singh said, “I have joined the party to be a part of development. Earlier I was in Congress. But now I want development to happen in the nation and that is possible only under the rule of the BJP. I’ll say what is wrong is wrong. Congress has been lacking efforts and now that I am in BJP, I don’t want to comment on anything about Congress.”

Earlier on 30th March, Singh had made a one-line note on X, formerly known as Twitter, sparking a flurry of speculation ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. “Wherever the public wants, I am ready,” he tweeted on 30th March. 

His name has been circulating for the past few days as the Congress party’s nominee from Mathura, where actor and incumbent MP Hema Malini is contesting again. Singh is from the Jat community, which has political power in a large number of seats in Haryana, his home state, as well as western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Vijender Singh joined the Congress in the year 2019 and contested unsuccessfully in the South Delhi constituency, where BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri defeated AAP’s Raghav Chadha and Congress’ Vijender Singh to secure his seat.

He is fighting against CPI, not BJP: Communist leader D Raja slams Rahul Gandhi for contesting from Wayanad, calls it short-sighted decision

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He is fighting against CPI, not BJP: Communist leader D Raja slams Rahul Gandhi for contesting from Wayanad, calls it short-sighted decision

After CPI leader Annie Raja filed her nomination from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja on Wednesday said that fielding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad is a “short-sighted” decision of the party.

Earlier today, CPI candidate from Wayanad, Annie Raja filed her nomination against Congress’ sitting MP and candidate Rahul Gandhi.

“Certain questions are being raised in public today as to why Congress decided to field Rahul Gandhi against Annie Raja from Wayanad. During his two yatra ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,” his fight was against the BJP and his ideology but when it comes to electoral battles, Mr Rahul Gandhi has not chosen to fight the BJP straight away. He has chosen to fight against the left. What message does Congress want to send out?” D Raja told ANI on Wednesday.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) leader asked the Congress to take decision in larger perspective of the country’s future.

“Fielding Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad is a short-sighted decision of Congress. Congress party should think in larger perspective of the country’s future. This is what I said last time. He could have chosen any other constituency in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, or Karnataka. Congress should take note of why people are raising questions,” he added.

Annie Raja and Rahul Gandhi filed their nomination on the same day.

The CPI is a partner of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala.

Kerala, one of the few states where the Congress still has a strong presence, sends 20 parliamentarians to the Lok Sabha.

While the CPI and the Congress are partners in the opposition INDIA bloc, the two parties are fierce contenders in Kerala with both parties pitting their strongest candidates against each other.

Rahul Gandhi bagged 706,367 votes from Wayanad with 64.7 per cent vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. CPI candidate PP Suneer who came second got 274,597 votes securing 25.1 per cent vote share.

The Congress led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 out of 20 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. While the Congress won 15 seats, its allies Indian Union Muslim League won two seats, the Revolutionary Socialist Party won one and the Kerala Congress (M) won one seat.

Voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the South Indian state across all 20 seats is scheduled for April 26, while the counting of votes will take place on June 4.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

US comes in support of India, slams China for ‘renaming’ 30 places in Arunachal Pradesh

OpIndia Staff
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US comes in support of India, slams China for ‘renaming’ 30 places in Arunachal Pradesh

In a major development, the United States has strongly opposed China’s claim of sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh, describing it as “unilateral attempts” by Beijing to assert its territorial claims. Biden administration’s response comes after China released a new list of Chinese names for 30 sites in India’s northeastern state.

“The United States strongly opposes any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions or encroachments, military or civilian, across the Line of Actual Control,” a US State Department representative was quoted by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on Tuesday (2nd April). This statement by the United States is consistent with its reaction last month when it repeated the country’s stance and recognised Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory.

China has been referring to Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet and claiming ownership of the 90,000-square-kilometer province, which India has always said is an integral part of the country. Beijing has called the region ‘Zangnan’ and constantly opposes Indian leaders visiting the state to underscore its territorial claims.

On Tuesday (2nd April), India explicitly dismissed China’s renaming of some places in Arunachal Pradesh as “senseless” and maintained that awarding “invented” names does not change the reality that the state “is, has been, and will always be” an important part of India.

“China has persisted with its senseless attempts to rename places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. We firmly reject such attempts. Assigning invented names will not alter the reality that Arunachal Pradesh is, has been, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

External Minister S Jaishankar also responded to China’s list of names, saying, “If I change the name of your house today, will it become mine? Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be a state of India. Changing names does not have an effect.”

Last month, India rejected the “absurd claims” and “baseless arguments” made by China on Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the northeastern State of India is an “integral and inalienable part of India.” The Ministry of External Affairs said that the people of Arunachal Pradesh will continue to benefit from India’s development plans and infrastructure projects.

This is after the Chinese defence ministry on 15th March again tried to claim the Indian state, referring to it as “Zangnan- an inherent part of China’s territory”. India has time and again denied China’s territorial claims on its Northeastern state, stating that the state is an integral part of the country. New Delhi has also criticised Beijing’s move to give “invented” names to the territory, claiming that it does not change the facts. Notably, despite having no legal claim over Arunachal Pradesh, China has ‘named’ the territory “Zangnan”.

Bharatpur: Mubarak seduces Hindu girl to perform nikah, changes her name to Ayesha, assaulted and confined by family to observe Ramzan & forced to eat non-veg

OpIndia Staff
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Bharatpur: Mubarak seduces Hindu girl to perform nikah, changes her name to Ayesha, assaulted and confined by family to observe Ramzan & forced to eat non-veg

A 20-year-old Hindu girl in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur fell prey to a Muslim man named Mubarak who brutally assaulted her regularly after performing nikah (Islamic marriage) with her. The girl’s name was also changed to Ayesha.

The incident occurred in Deeg’s Kaithwada police station area in the Mewat region of ​​Rajasthan. While the girl was undergoing GNM training in Noida’s Yatharth Hospital in Sector 110, she was befriended on Facebook by the accused named Mubarak, who is a resident of Jhenjhpuri village in Deeg.

She was trapped by the accused and eventually on 1st September 2023, the accused took her to an acquaintance’s place in Bela village of of Sikri police station area. Here, he kept the victim for 10 days and then performed nikah with her and changed her name to Ayesha.

He then took the victim to his home in Jhenjhpuri village where the accused along with his family began assaulting her for worshipping Hindu deities. The victim was forced to not worship Hindu Gods and only offer namaz. She was also forced to consume non-veg.

The victim was forced to fast in the month of Ramzan. When she refused, she was beaten black and blue. She was not allowed to step out of the house nor meet anyone outside the house. The girl did not have any means of communication either.

One day, the victim managed to grab hold of the phone of the accused and communicated her ordeal to her family. Following this, the victim’s family arrived in Jhenjhpuri village to rescue their daughter. Yet, the accused refused to let the girl go.

The family then approached the Kaman police station. The police took both the victim and the accused to the station and interrogated the latter. The girl was handed over to her family. The marks of assault on the body of the victim shocked the family.

Moreover, the accused even deprived the victim of the education she was receiving in Noida. However, as per reports, no complaint was filed against the accused and he was released after interrogation.

Ranveer Singh reunites with Johnny Sins in a spoof of teleshopping ads from 90s, draws attention towards men’s sexual health: Watch

OpIndia Staff
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Ranveer Singh reunites with Johnny Sins in a spoof of teleshopping ads from 90s, draws attention towards men’s sexual health: Watch

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has reunited with adult star Johnny Sins for a parody advertisement promoting Men’s Sexual Health. The new ad is a parody of the popular 90s teleshopping ads for the Sexual health and wellness brand, ‘Bold Care’. 

In this comic ad, Ranveer, the brand ambassador for Bold Care, features as a show presenter of an infomercial. In the 2-minute ad, Johnny Sins is seen playing the character of a ‘satisfied customer’ and as ‘Johnny Science’, an expert. 

The commercial ad addresses the issues of men’s sexual performance. Using props, writing style, and costumes of the bygone era, it takes a dig at the old teleshopping ads that were popular in the 1990s. 

Using numerous sexual innuendos, Ranveer as a presenter raises awareness about erectile dysfunction, offering his brand’s ‘chamatkari formula’ for various issues men suffer from and improve their sexual health. 

The creative team behind the ad includes Tanmay Bhat, Devaiah Bopanna, and their team, with direction from Ayappa KM.

The advertisement has taken the internet by storm. Several social media users said it is a bold step by the Bollywood actor, breaking barriers while some users expressed shock. 

Popular YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani reacted to the brand’s Instagram post saying, “Man you can play biopic of any random person on this earth.”

One X user wrote, “Wait what? Is this for real? What’s your opinion on this advertisement? Ranveer Singh x Johnny Sins.”

Another user wrote, “I think the way things are folding, Johnny Sins might be cast as lead actor in one of the Bollywood movies.”

Ranveer-Johnny Sins had previously collaborated for the same sexual wellness brand, Bold Care in which Singh assumed the role of Johnny’s brother-in-law in a classic Indian television daily soap. He is seen solving Johnny Sins’ sex problem in the hilarious saas-bahu parody. 

‘Conduct towards husband devoid of dignity and empathy’: Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur wins divorce case against wife on grounds of cruelty

OpIndia Staff
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‘Conduct towards husband devoid of dignity and empathy’: Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur wins divorce case against wife on grounds of cruelty

On Tuesday (2nd April), the Delhi High Court granted divorce to celebrity chef Kunal Kapur on the grounds of cruelty meted out to him by his estranged wife, saying the woman’s conduct towards him was devoid of dignity and empathy. The court also admitted that Kunal Kapur’s wife kept their son away from him and his parents. A division bench comprising Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Neena Bansal Krishna delivered the divorce verdict overruling a family court’s order denying the chef divorce.

The court said in its order, “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.”

The couple, who now became estranged, married in April 2008 and welcomed a son in 2012. Kunal Kapur, a former judge on the television show “Master Chef,” asserted in his plea that his wife consistently disrespected his parents and subjected him to humiliation. Conversely, the woman countered by accusing him of leveling false accusations. She claimed to have always endeavoured to maintain loving communication with her husband and remained loyal to him. Allegedly, he withheld information from her and concocted false narratives to obtain a divorce.

The court determined that the wife’s behaviour falls within the scope of Section 13 (1) (i-a) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. It criticised the Family Court for wrongly dismissing the husband’s divorce petition. Kunal Kapur’s appeal against the Family Court’s decision was thus upheld by the court. The couple, who married in 2008, have lived separately since May 2015, with their son under the wife’s custody. Despite the separation, Kunal Kapur has continued to financially support their son’s education and welfare, as well as contribute to the household expenses.

Upon reviewing the WhatsApp messages exchanged between the parties, the court noted that Kunal Kapur has been denied the opportunity to meet or communicate with his son. Despite his repeated requests, the wife has consistently avoided this and instead demanded payments from him on various pretexts. The court said, “Such deprivation of company of their son with the malicious intent to create a rift between the father and child, no doubt will put any parent in distress.”

The court observed that despite Kunal Kapur and his family experiencing significant emotional distress and a loss of social standing within the community, he still made additional efforts to reconcile and preserve his marriage. Additionally, the court noted that using loud and offensive language, even if not directly aimed at the spouse, is excessively harsh for the recipient to tolerate.

The court said, “This court is of the opinion that though there is no standard set for what amounts to a reasonable reaction to provocations in marital life, such acts of causing physical harm to a person is a reflection of one‟s inability to be in control of their temperaments and amounts to cruelty. It is observed in the said evidence that despite requests by the appellant (husband) to not continue the fight infront of their son, the respondent (wife) remained unbothered by it and acted in the heat of the moment. This kind of conduct would no doubt subject a spouse to grave cruelty.”

Moreover, the court observed that within just two years of marriage, Kunal Kapur successfully established himself as a Celebrity Chef, a testament to his dedication and perseverance. This achievement highlights that he did not rely on his spouse or in-laws for his basic needs.

The court said, “Considering the aforesaid facts, it is only prudent to observe that these are mere allegations made by the respondent to disrepute the appellant in the eyes of the Court and such unsubstantiated claims have the effect on one’s reputation and therefore, amounts to cruelty.” The court further emphasised that while marital disagreements are commonplace in every marriage, when these conflicts escalate to include disrespect and disregard towards one’s spouse, the very sanctity of the marriage is compromised.

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