SRINAGAR: The Supreme Court has advised former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his estranged wife Payal Abdullah to hold discussions and make a final effort to amicably resolve their prolonged marital discord.
The directive was issued by a bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran on April 15, while hearing Omar Abdullah’s appeal in a divorce matter. Acknowledging that previous mediation attempts had not yielded results, the court encouraged both parties to try reconciliation once again. A three-week window has been granted for this process, with the case scheduled for the next hearing on May 7.
Omar and Payal have lived separately for over 15 years and publicly announced their separation in 2011. Omar’s divorce petition was rejected by a Delhi family court in 2016, and that decision was upheld by the Delhi High Court in December 2023, citing insufficient evidence to support claims of cruelty.
The High Court had earlier ordered Omar to pay Payal a monthly maintenance of ₹1.5 lakh, along with ₹60,000 per month for each of their two sons. The Supreme Court had sought Payal’s response following Omar’s challenge to that ruling.
