SC notice to Payal Abdullah on Omar's plea seeking divorce on grounds of cruelty

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from Payal Abdullah, the estranged wife of Omar Abdullah, on a plea filed by the National Conference leader seeking divorce on grounds of cruelty.

A bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah issued notice to Payal Abdullah and sought her response within six weeks.

At the outset, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Omar Abdullah, submitted that the marriage was "dead" as they have been living separately for the past 15 years.

The Delhi High Court on December 12, 2023, dismissed Omar Abdullah's plea seeking divorce, saying there was no merit in his appeal.

The high court had upheld the 2016 family court order refusing to grant a decree of divorce to Abdullah, a former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.