Accord-ing to the common terms agreed by both sides, custody of the two children will remain with Karisma while Sunjay will get visitation rights on holidays and during vacation
The Supreme Court on Friday brought a close to an ugly divorce battle being fought out by Bollywood actor Karisma Kapoor and her estranged husband Sunjay Kapur as it made both parties to sit through a 45-minute meeting at their chamber and agree to a set of proposals drawn by both sides taking care of the financial interests, custody of the two children and visitation rights.
While the actor had senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani and lawyer Sandeep Kapoor to argue on her side, Delhi-based businessmen Sunjay was assisted by Aman and Priya Hingorani to thresh out a settlement that protected his interests.
The judges, Justices AK Sikri and RK Agarawal who had called the couple to assemble in their chamber with the lawyers, gave their approval to the consent terms arrived at by both parties. According to the common terms agreed by both sides, custody of the two children will remain with Karisma while Sunjay will get visitation rights on holidays and during vacation.
While Kapur had earlier agreed to transfer the house to Karisma’s name and assign bonds for the benefit of children, the nagging reason that prevented settlement was visitation rights. The actor had deep mistrust over giving children access to visit Kapur and insisted they should meet in the presence of her maid. The Court, in successive meetings held with the counsel for the parties had advised both sides to agree to a compromise in the interest of the children.
The terms were drawn out in the presence of the judges who ensured that the atmosphere was cordial and prodded the parties to smoothen some rough edges in their demands. The Court directed both parties to present the consent terms before the Bandra court in Mumbai on June 13 when the concerned court is expected to grant them divorce by mutual consent on the agreed terms.
As per the agreement, Karisma will withdraw the case of dowry harassment (IPC Section 498A) filed against Sunjay and his parents within two weeks, paving way for the smooth settlement of the long standing dispute between the couple. Following the in-chamber meeting, one of the lawyers appearing for the actor said, “We have agreed for the quashing of the criminal proceedings initiated by us at a trial court in Mumbai under section 498A IPC and the apex court accordingly quashed it.”
According to sources close to Kapur, the divorce petition filed by him before the Mumbai court will now be converted into divorce by mutual consent. It was Kapur who approached the apex court after he received threat from gangster Ravi Pujari not to visit Mumbai in connection with the divorce case. It was pending hearing of this petition to transfer the case to Delhi that the judges attempted at settling the dispute once and for all by asking the couple to appear in person.
Sunjay and Karisma got married in September 2003 and had a troubled relationship throughout. They had filed for divorce by mutual consent but Karisma withdrew her consent. Things reached a head as Karisma separated from Sunjay in 2010 and in 2014, Sunjay filed a divorce petition seeking an end to his soured relationship.