New Delhi

The Supreme Court has officially granted a divorce to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his estranged wife, Payal Nath, after the couple reached an amicable settlement. The two had been living separately for several years following the breakdown of their marriage, which had begun as a love story in the early 1990s.

Supreme Court Approves Divorce by Mutual Consent

On Friday, the Supreme Court dissolved the marriage after senior advocate Kapil Sibal informed the bench that both parties had settled their matrimonial dispute. A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe accepted the joint plea and granted the divorce.

The case had a long legal history. In July 2024, the Supreme Court sought Payal Abdullah's response after Omar Abdullah challenged the Delhi High Court's decision refusing him a divorce. The High Court had, in December 2023, upheld a 2016 Family Court ruling dismissing his divorce petition, observing that he had failed to establish allegations of cruelty or desertion against his wife.

Invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court accepted the couple's mutual consent application on July 31, 2026, bringing their 32-year marital relationship to a legal close.

From Love Marriage to Separation

Omar Abdullah and Payal Nath first met around 1990–91 while working at the Oberoi Hotel in Delhi. Omar was employed as a marketing executive, while Payal also worked with the hotel group. Their friendship gradually developed into a romantic relationship.

Payal, who comes from a Sikh family in Delhi, is the daughter of former Indian Army Major General Ram Nath. As the couple belonged to different faiths, their relationship initially faced hesitation from their families, and sections of the Kashmiri Pandit community also opposed the interfaith marriage. Despite these challenges, they decided to marry.

The couple solemnised their marriage under civil law in England on September 1, 1994. They later became parents to two sons, Zahir and Zamir.

Before entering politics in 1998, Omar Abdullah worked in the hospitality industry. During his political rise, Payal supported him both in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. When Omar became the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Payal was widely recognised as one of the state's most prominent public figures.

However, differences began to emerge after 2009. Omar shifted to Srinagar, while Payal continued living in Delhi with their sons. In September 2011, Omar publicly confirmed that they had separated after 17 years of marriage.

Divorce Proceedings and Legal Battle

Omar Abdullah sought divorce on the grounds of cruelty and irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. However, both the Delhi Family Court (2016) and the Delhi High Court (2023) rejected his petition, holding that the allegations of cruelty had not been sufficiently proved.

Following the High Court's decision, Omar approached the Supreme Court, which encouraged both sides to explore mediation and an out-of-court settlement. The negotiations ultimately resulted in a mutual agreement, paving the way for the final divorce decree.

Maintenance Ordered by the Court

During the proceedings before the Family Court, Omar Abdullah argued that the marriage had irretrievably broken down. He stated that the couple had not shared a marital relationship since 2007 and had been living separately since 2009. He also claimed that Payal's conduct had caused him mental distress.

In a separate maintenance case, the Delhi High Court, in August 2023, directed Omar Abdullah to pay Payal Abdullah interim maintenance of ₹1.5 lakh per month. The court also ordered him to pay ₹60,000 per month for the education of each of their two sons.

This order modified an earlier 2018 Family Court direction, which had awarded ₹75,000 per month to Payal and ₹25,000 per month for each child until they attained majority. The enhancement came after Payal and her sons challenged the lower court's order.

Payal Nath's Professional Background

Payal Nath is an entrepreneur based in Delhi. She operates a travel and transport business and also owns a mineral water packaging plant in Himachal Pradesh.

Academically, she studied Physics and Computer Science. After completing her education, she trained under an Italian shoe designer before pursuing her business ventures.

READ MORE: CWG medalist Mohammed Basil once sprinted alongside normal athletes

Before Omar Abdullah entered politics, both he and Payal worked at the Oberoi Hotel in Delhi, where they first met. Their relationship eventually led to marriage in 1994, before concluding with a court-approved divorce in 2026.