The Supreme Court on Friday cleared Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah’s divorce after being informed that he has resolved his dispute with his estranged wife, Payal Abdullah, through mediation.
Event Context
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe disposed of the appeal of Omar Abdullah, who was represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, informing the top court that all disputes between the parties had been amicably resolved, Bar and Bench reported.
Match Outlook
“Both of them have embraced freedom. It’s all settled. Lordships may grant divorce. All other matters will be withdrawn,” Sibal was quoted as saying in his submission.
“That’s good. We will dispose it of on those terms,” the bench reportedly observed, responding to the submission.
In April last year, the Supreme Court had directed Omar Abdullah and his estranged wife Payal Abdullah to sit together and make an effort to resolve their matrimonial disputes.
Omar and Payal tied the knot in September 1994, but were separated for a long time.
The Delhi high court on December 12, 2023 dismissed Omar’s plea for divorce, and said there was no merit in his appeal and upheld the 2016 family court order, which refused to grant a decree of divorce to Omar.
The high court had ruled that the allegations of cruelty were “vague and unacceptable” and that Omar Abdullah had failed to provide evidence of any behaviour by Payal that could be deemed as cruelty, either physical or mental, HT reported earlier.
“We find no infirmity in the view taken by the family court that the allegations of cruelty were vague and unacceptable, that the appellant failed to prove any act which could be termed as an act of cruelty, be it physical or mental, towards him,” the high court had said.
The family court noted that the couple had remained in contact until the filing of the divorce petition, which contradicted claims of desertion or a complete breakdown of their relationship.
“The petitioner [Omar] has not been able to explain a single circumstance to show that the supervening circumstances have erupted which has made it impossible for him to continue his relationship with the respondent [Payal],” the court had noted.
In August 2023, the Delhi high court ordered Omar Abdullah to pay ₹1.5 lakh as monthly interim maintenance to Payal and ₹60,000 each for the education of their two sons, who are currently pursuing law.
