Delhi HC Dismisses Omar Abdullah's Plea For Divorce From Estranged Wife

As per the Delhi HC, there was no merit in the appeal filed by the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister challenging the trial court's 2016 verdict.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed National Conference leader Omar Abdullah's plea seeking divorce from his estranged wife. As per the high court, there was no merit in the appeal filed by the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister challenging the trial court's 2016 verdict, as reported by news agency PTI. A bench of Justices Sanjeev Sachdeva and Vikas Mahajan upheld an order of the trial court which had also refused to grant divorce to Abdullah.

Abdullah has sought divorce from estranged wife Payal Abdullah on grounds that he was subjected to cruelty by her. "We find no infirmity in the view taken by the family court that the allegations of cruelty were vague and unacceptable, that the appellant failed to prove any act which could be termed as an act of cruelty, be it physical or mental, towards him," the bench said while pronouncing the judgment, as quoted by PTI.

On August 30, 2016, the trial court had dismissed Abdullah's plea seeking divorce. The trial court had said Abdullah could not prove his claims of "cruelty" or "desertion" which were the grounds alleged by him for grant of decree of divorce. The court said that the allegations of cruelty by Omar Abdullah against Payal Abdullah were vague.

Omar Abdullah and Payal Abdullah got married on September 01, 1994. The couple has been living separately since the year 2009. They have two sons, according to Live Law.

It was Omar Abdullah's case that his marriage with Payal Abdullab had “irretrievably broken down”. He also sought divorce on the ground of cruelty and desertion by herz

The family court had refused to grant him divorce, observing that he failed to prove irretrievable breakdown of his marriage with Payal Abdullah.

According to Live Law, National Conference leader claimed that his marriage had broken down irretrievably and that he had not enjoyed conjugal relationship since the year 2007.

In September, a single judge had ordered Omar Abdullah to pay interim maintenance of Rs. 1,50,000 per month to Payal Abdullah and also increased the amount of interim maintenance from Rs. 75,000 which was directed by the family court in April 2018.