The Supreme Court has temporarily paused a Delhi High Court order that granted 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 and referred the case to the Supreme Court Mediation Centre to explore the possibility of a settlement.

Kunal Kapur, known for his role as a judge on 'MasterChef India,' married his wife in April 2008, and the couple has a 12-year-old son. The Delhi High Court had granted Kapur a divorce in April, citing his wife's conduct as "devoid of dignity and empathy."

Kapur accused his wife of disrespecting his parents and humiliating him, alleging that she frequently called the police and threatened to spread false rumors about him. He also claimed that she created a scene during a 'MasterChef India' shoot in 2016 by barging into the studio with their son.

Conversely, Kapur's wife accused him of making false allegations. She stated that she had compromised her career for the sake of her family and had been loyal to her husband. She also claimed that she faced taunts from her in-laws for having a job and not doing household chores, and accused Kapur of concocting stories to obtain a divorce.

The Delhi High Court, while ruling in favor of Kapur, stated that making reckless, defamatory, humiliating, and unsubstantiated allegations against a spouse in public amounts to cruelty. "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 court had said.

The Supreme Court's decision to refer the case to mediation indicates an effort to resolve the matter amicably before proceeding with further legal actions.