Omar Abdullah's Divorce Approved by India's Supreme Court
India’s Supreme Court has been informed that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his estranged wife Payal Abdullah have mutually agreed to dissolve their marriage. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal told a bench of Justices P. S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe that the parties filed an application under Article 142 of the Constitution on July 22, seeking a divorce after a settlement reached through mediation. The court recorded the parties’ statement that “both of them have embraced freedom” and indicated it would pass an order in accordance with the settlement.
The couple were married on 1 September 1994, have two sons, and have been living separately since 2009. Omar’s earlier divorce plea was dismissed by the Patiala House Family Court on 30 August 2016 for lack of proof of cruelty or desertion, a decision upheld by the Delhi High Court in December 2023. After the matter was sent to Supreme Court mediation in 2024, the parties resolved all pending disputes and withdrew all cases against each other. The Supreme Court now moves to formally dissolve the marriage.
Entities: Justice Alok Aradhe · Justice P. S. Narasimha · Justice PS Narasimha · Kapil Sibal · Omar Abdullah · Payal Abdullah · Supreme Court of India
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 14 SOURCES] The family court dismissed Omar Abdullah’s divorce plea on 30 August 2016, finding no proof of cruelty or desertion. (court judgment)
- [● 14 SOURCES] The couple have been living separately since 2009. (court and media reports)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Supreme Court will issue an order dissolving the marriage of Omar Abdullah and Payal Abdullah. (SC bench announcement)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Omar and Payal have two sons. (court records)
- [● 14 SOURCES] Omar Abdullah and Payal Abdullah were married in September 1994. (court records)
- [● 14 SOURCES] The Delhi High Court upheld the family court’s decision in December 2023, dismissing Abdullah’s appeal. (court judgment)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The divorce settlement was reached through mediation. (Court informed of mediation settlement)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Omar and Payal filed an application under Article 142 of the Constitution on 22 July. (Senior advocate Kapil Sibal's submission)
- [● 14 SOURCES] The divorce application was filed on July 22 under Article 142 of the Constitution. (Supreme Court filing)
- [● 14 SOURCES] The Supreme Court has been informed that Omar Abdullah and Payal Abdullah have mutually agreed to divorce. (Supreme Court proceedings)
- [● 14 SOURCES] The Supreme Court will pass an order based on the mediation settlement between Omar Abdullah and Payal Abdullah. (Supreme Court statement)