The Supreme Court has directed National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his estranged wife Payal Abdullah to seek mediation at the court’s mediation center. The order was issued by a bench comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah following a petition filed by Omar Abdullah.
Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing Omar Abdullah, argued during the hearing that the couple had been living separately for the past 15 years, and mediation would be futile. Despite this, the lawyer representing Payal Abdullah supported the Supreme Court’s decision to refer the matter to mediation.
Omar Abdullah had filed the petition challenging a decision by the Delhi High Court. In his petition, he stated that he and his wife, who married on September 1, 1994, had been living apart since 2009. The couple has two sons. Omar Abdullah sought a divorce on the grounds of cruelty. However, his petition was dismissed by a family court on August 30, 2016, as he failed to demonstrate that the marriage had suffered irreparable damage.
After the family court’s dismissal, Omar Abdullah approached the Delhi High Court, which upheld the family court’s decision after a prolonged hearing. Following this, Omar Abdullah moved to the Supreme Court, leading to the current order for mediation.
