Mohar Basu (BOMBAY TIMES; November 27, 2015)

Two days ago, Karisma Kapoor and her husband Sunjay Kapur filed applications for withdrawal for their divorce by mutual consent due to different reasons. This came as a bit of a shock because the couple had agreed on the set terms one and a half years ago. After a little over a decade of marriage, on May 23, 2014, the two filed for legal separation in Bandra Family Court. The two had tied the knot on September 29, 2003. Reportedly, Sunjay and Karisma have not reached a consensus on the terms of a certain welfare trust that the former is setting up for their children - Samaira and Kiaan - aged 10 and five, respectively.

In a telephonic conversation with us, Karisma's counsel Kranti Sathe said, “The court has directed both parties to file replies to each other's applications. Sunjay has not met the consent terms. There were certain obligations assigned to each of them and he has not complied with them. As per the law, the case will now fall through. It is the other party that has to comply, not us!“ The actress' lawyer also slammed reports of Karisma withholding child visitation rights. She asserted, “Not at all. On the contrary, whenever he visits, he has been getting regular access to his children and he has not been denied the right to meet his kids.“

Quiz her what path will the case take and Sathe says, “There are only three days for compliance and he has already put in his application for withdrawal, which makes his intention very clear. We suspect now there will be allegations and counter allegations, but the fact remains that the 18-month time period will lapse on November 30. Mutual consent can't remain pending for more than that, after the date of filing. The future is hard to predict, but the case will get more difficult now. When either of them asks for release, they will have to fight unilateral petitions. They may even fight over the custody of their children.“

However, it isn't clear how the case reached this state of confusion. Karisma's lawyer explains, “There were talks of revising the terms of compliance, and both parties kept going back and forth on them. After Sunjay's father died, for a brief while, there was total shutdown of communication. As far as the bone of contention between them goes, we will say one thing, he will say another. We will reply to the petition today, depending on the content of his application.“

When contacted Randhir Kapoor, Karisma's father, he said, “I don't know the details about the case. I haven't met Karisma so I won't be able to tell you anything. I will be able to confirm this once I speak to her.“