Srinagar, July 31: The Supreme Court on Friday disposed of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s divorce plea after he and his estranged wife, Payal Abdullah, informed the court that they had reached a settlement.
According to Bar & Bench, a bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe accepted the settlement after Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Omar Abdullah, told the court: “Both of them have embraced freedom. It’s all settled. Lordships may grant divorce. All other matters will be withdrawn.”
The bench responded, “That’s good. We will dispose it of on those terms,” bringing the long-running matrimonial case to a close.
The case had been pending for nearly a decade. Omar Abdullah first filed for divorce in 2016, citing an irretrievable breakdown of marriage and alleging cruelty. His plea was rejected by both the family court and the Delhi High Court, which held that the allegations were not sufficiently established. He subsequently challenged the High Court’s order before the Supreme Court.
In August 2024, the Supreme Court referred the matter to mediation at the request of both parties. Earlier this year, in January 2025, the apex court adjourned the case to allow the mediation process to continue. Omar Abdullah and Payal Abdullah, who married in 1994, have been living separately since 2009.
