The Supreme Court has agreed to dissolve the marriage of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his estranged wife, Payal Abdullah, after the couple reached a mutual settlement ending years of legal disputes.
A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe recorded the settlement and announced that a formal order disposing of the proceedings under Article 142 of the Constitution would be issued. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the National Conference leader, informed the court that a joint application for dissolving the marriage was filed on July 22 after both parties resolved all outstanding issues.
As part of the settlement agreement, all other pending legal cases between the two parties will be withdrawn. The apex court was considering two pleas, including a petition filed by Omar Abdullah challenging a lower court decision that had denied him a divorce decree.
Decades-Long Legal Battle Ends
The couple was married on September 1, 1994, and has been living separately since 2009. In his original petition before a family court, Omar Abdullah sought a divorce on the grounds of cruelty and desertion, alleging that he had been subjected to harassment and that conjugal relations had ceased in 2007.
A family court dismissed his petition on August 30, 2016, after concluding that he failed to substantiate his claims of cruelty or desertion. The Delhi High Court affirmed that ruling on December 12, 2023, finding no merit in his appeal. The Supreme Court subsequently agreed to examine his challenge in July 2024 by issuing a notice to Payal Abdullah before the settlement was finalized.
Maintenance And Financial Orders
Prior to the settlement, the Delhi High Court in August 2023 had directed Omar Abdullah to pay Rs 1.5 lakh as monthly interim maintenance to Payal Abdullah, along with Rs 60,000 per month for the education of each of their two sons. That ruling modified a 2018 trial court order that had previously fixed monthly interim maintenance at Rs 75,000 for Payal Abdullah and Rs 25,000 for each son until they reached majority.
