A 70-year-old farmer from Haryana's Karnal district got divorced from his estranged wife after a long-drawn legal battle spanning 18 years.


Subash Chand finalised his divorce from his estranged wife, Santosh Kumari, 73, by paying a hefty permanent alimony, ending a 44-year-old marriage through a Rs 3.1 crore settlement.


In order to fulfill the settlement terms, Chand sold agricultural land, crops, and gave gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 40 lakh.


The Punjab and Haryana High Court's Mediation and Conciliation Centre mediated the agreement, which ensures that his wife and children will no longer have any right to make claims on Chand's death even after his death.


The agreement was validated by a High Court bench, comprising Justices Sudhir Singh and Jasjit Singh Bedi, and formally dissolved the marriage.


As per the agreement, "The first party (husband) has paid Rs 3.07 crore to the second party (wife) as permanent alimony. The wife and children will have no claims against the first party or his successors. Even after his death, the estate left behind will devolve as per succession, excluding the second and third party (children)".


Chand and Kumari tied the knot on August 27, 1980 and had four children. One of them died later. Their relationship had soured by 2006 due to "temperamental differences," following which they decided to live apart. Chand then filed for divorce in 2006, citing mental cruelty, India Today reported.


However, his petition was rejected by the Karnal family court in 2013.


Chand was unwilling to give up and subsequently approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where the divorce case went on for 11 years. It was referred for mediation on November 4, 2024.


Advocate Rajinder Goel, representing Chand stated that the divorce settlement included Rs 50 lakh in cash from crop sales, Rs 2.16 crore through demand draft, and Rs 40 lakh in gold and silver ornaments, India Today reported.


The agreement also states that the wife and children relinquished all rights to the property owned by Chand. This mutual decision was acknowledged by the court and the divorce was finalised last week.