New Delhi, July 31. The Supreme Court on Friday granted divorce to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The apex court was informed that he had resolved his dispute with his estranged wife, Payal Abdullah, through mediation.
According to a report in the website “Bar and Bench,” a bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe disposed of Omar Abdullah’s appeal. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Omar Abdullah, told the Supreme Court that all disputes between the parties had been resolved amicably.
Sibal told the apex court, “Both have chosen freedom. Everything has been settled. The honorable court can grant the divorce. All other cases will be withdrawn.” The bench responded, “This is a good thing.” We will settle the matter based on these conditions.
The court directed both parties to resolve the dispute last year.
In April last year, the Supreme Court directed Omar Abdullah and his wife, Payal Abdullah (from whom he is living separately), to sit together and try to resolve their marital disputes. Omar and Payal married in September 1994 but had been living separately for a long time.
On December 12, 2023, the Delhi High Court dismissed Omar’s divorce petition, stating that his appeal lacked merit and upheld the 2016 Family Court order that had refused to grant Omar a divorce decree.
In August 2023, the Delhi High Court ordered Omar Abdullah to pay Payal ₹1.5 lakh per month as interim maintenance and ₹60,000 for the education of their two sons, who are currently studying law.