The Supreme Court on Friday brought an end to the long-pending matrimonial dispute between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his estranged wife, Payal Abdullah, after the parties informed the Court that they had amicably resolved all their differences through mediation.
The Bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe disposed of Omar Abdullah’s appeal and closed the proceedings after Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on his behalf, submitted that the parties had reached a complete settlement and agreed to withdraw all related matters.
Omar and Payal were married in September 1994 but have been living separately for several years. In 2016, a family court dismissed Omar Abdullah’s petition seeking dissolution of the marriage, holding that he had failed to establish cruelty, desertion or an irretrievable breakdown of marriage. The court had observed that he had not demonstrated any circumstance that made continuation of the marital relationship impossible.
His appeal before the Delhi High Court also failed, following which he approached the Supreme Court seeking dissolution of the marriage by invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution. The provision, which enables the Apex Court to pass orders necessary to do complete justice, has previously been invoked to dissolve marriages that have irretrievably broken down.
In August 2024, the Supreme Court referred the matter to mediation after both parties agreed to explore the possibility of an amicable settlement. The hearing was thereafter deferred to await the mediator’s report.
With the mediation proving successful and the parties resolving all pending disputes, the Supreme Court has now disposed of the appeal and granted the divorce in terms of the settlement.
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