Supreme Court Told Omar Abdullah & Estranged Wife Have Agreed To Part Ways

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who fought a legal battle for almost a decade to get a divorce from his estranged wife, Payal Abdullah, is headed for getting out of the marriage as his wife has agreed to part ways by mutual consent. The Supreme Court was on Friday informed that the couple has filed an application invoking Article 142 of the Constitution seeking dissolution of their marriage by mutual consent. Senior Supreme Court advocate Kapil Sibal told a bench comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe that the parties have "embraced freedom".

"Article 142 filed, my lords may grant divorce," Sibal said, as reported by LiveLaw.

Joint plea before Supreme Court

The apex court was informed that the couple had filed a joint divorce petition on July 22. Taking note of the submission, Justice Narasimha said the court would pass an order accordingly. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal also told the court that both parties had agreed to withdraw all cases filed against each other. Justice Narasimha said these developments would be recorded in the court's order, adding, "We will dispose of it in terms of that."

Decade-long legal battle

Omar Abdullah had moved the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court declined to grant him a divorce. Earlier, the apex court referred the matter to the Supreme Court Mediation Centre for settlement. Omar Abdullah and Payal Abdullah were married on September 1, 1994, and have been living separately since 2009. They have two sons. Omar had initially sought divorce before the Family Court on the grounds of cruelty and desertion. However, on August 30, 2016, the Family Court rejected his plea, holding that he had failed to establish that the marriage had irretrievably broken down. He later challenged the decision before the Delhi High Court, which, in December 2023, upheld the Family Court's ruling.