In a significant ruling that concludes a protracted legal battle, the family court in Bandra, Mumbai, has granted industrialist Jaidev Shroff a divorce from his wife, Poonam Bhagat Shroff. The court dissolved the marriage on grounds of cruelty, bringing an end to an 11-year-old legal dispute that saw multiple hearings up to the Supreme Court.
The Final Settlement and Alimony Award
The court directed Jaidev Shroff to pay a lump sum permanent alimony of Rs 10 crore to Poonam Shroff. This amount is to be paid within three months and is considered a full and final settlement of all her financial claims. The order came after the court rejected Poonam's plea for a substantially higher alimony of Rs 1,000 crore. Furthermore, her request for enhanced or additional maintenance was dismissed.
The court also rejected several other claims made by Poonam Shroff. It denied her plea for lifelong residential rights in the couple's matrimonial home in Bandra. Her request for usage rights to any of the Shroff family's properties located abroad was also turned down by the presiding judge.
A Long Road Through the Courts
The divorce petition was originally filed by Jaidev Shroff in 2015 before the Mumbai family court. The case saw a complex and lengthy journey through the judicial system. On several occasions, the matter reached the Supreme Court of India, which issued directives to expedite the proceedings.
Key milestones in the timeline include:
- December 3, 2021: The Supreme Court first directed the family court to speed up the divorce hearing.
- 2023: Poonam Shroff filed a separate plea for maintenance.
- March 2024: The Supreme Court again intervened, ordering the family court to decide the divorce plea within six months.
- August 2025: The SC granted a final three-month extension for the family court to decide the pending petition, after the court itself had requested a nine-month extension.
Last month, the Supreme Court also rejected Poonam's plea against a Bombay High Court order. The High Court had upheld the family court's earlier decision not to club her maintenance plea with the ongoing divorce proceedings, keeping the two issues separate.
Grounds for Divorce and Marriage Details
The court decreed that the marriage between Jaidev and Poonam Shroff, which was solemnised in 2004 and later in January 2005 under Hindu Vedic rites, stood officially dissolved. The divorce was granted specifically "on the grounds of cruelty" as defined under the provisions of the Special Marriage Act. This legal finding was central to the industrialist's petition and formed the basis for the court's final judgment.
The ruling underscores the judiciary's approach to high-net-worth divorce cases, balancing spousal support with a finality that allows both parties to move forward. The Rs 10 crore settlement, while a vast sum, represents the court's assessment of a fair and final resolution, markedly lower than the amount sought by the respondent.
