Supreme Court Dissolves 13-Year Estranged Marriage, Orders Rs 1.25 Crore Alimony

The Supreme Court has dissolved a marriage separating since 2010, requiring the husband to pay Rs 1.25 crore in alimony to his estranged wife. Despite a 2016 family court decision, the couple failed to reconcile, leading the apex court to intervene and provide a final resolution under Article 142.

The Supreme Court has officially ended a marriage that had been effectively over since 2010, putting an end to years of separate living and unresolved disputes between the couple. The court directed the husband to pay a permanent alimony of Rs 1.25 crore to his estranged wife.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta found no reason to maintain the couple's legal relationship, as the husband had remarried in 2017. Since their separation began in 2010, attempts at reconciliation were unsuccessful, with neither party showing a willingness to mend their matrimonial bond.

The top court ordered the payment in five quarterly installments of Rs 25 lakhs each. Failure to meet the payment terms will result in forfeiture of any already paid amount. The bench noted the husband's lack of financial support during their legal disputes, which led to this alimony decision.

(With inputs from agencies.)