Shweta Mahajan filed the divorce case in the court of district and sessions judge Ramendra Jain. She has cited her husband’s “violent behaviour” as the chief reason for her decision.

Shweta has filed for divorce on grounds of incompatibility and mutual consent of both parties.

Rahul and Shweta, who married on August 29, 2006 in a highly publicised wedding barely four months after the murder of Pramod Mahajan by his younger brother, have been consistently denying reports of a turbulent marriage. They got engaged after 13 years of friendship.

A few months ago, there were media reports that Shweta was being subjected to persistent physical and verbal abuse, but Shweta denied these reports.

Earlier, a Mumbai tabloid had also carried photographs of Shweta with what looked like a bruise on her arm.

Domestic violence is believed to have started almost immediately after Shweta’s marriage.

There were also reports that Shweta had left Mumbai to join her parents in Dehradun months after the marriage and was keen on divorce even then.

However, Rahul was unwilling, as that could adversely affect his political ambitions. But she decided to take this major step as things seemed to be getting out of hand, sources close to Shweta said. Rahul and Shweta had completed their flying course together in the US. The two families apparently have known each other for a long time.

With the latest development, Rahul has courted controversy yet again.

Earlier, he was hospitalised after an alleged cocaine overdose at his father’s official residence in New Delhi on June 2, 2006.

Pramod Mahajan’s secretary Bibek Moitra died after the drug binge.

Rahul was arrested by Delhi Police on charges of drug possession and consumption and has an ongoing criminal case against him.