Chicago – April 13, 2026
Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, and his estranged wife Payal Nath (daughter of union minister Arun Nath) have been directed by the Supreme Court to make one final attempt at resolving their long-standing marital dispute. The instruction came from a bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran during a hearing held on April 10, 2026.
Although previous mediation efforts between the couple have not succeeded, the court has encouraged them to try reconciliation once more, granting a period of three weeks for this purpose. The matter is scheduled to be heard again on May 7.
Omar and Payal Abdullah have been living separately for more than 15 years, with their separation becoming public in 2011. Omar Abdullah’s earlier plea for divorce was rejected by a Delhi family court in 2016. This decision was later upheld by the Delhi High Court in December 2023, which observed that the allegations of cruelty made by him were vague and not supported by adequate evidence.
In addition, the High Court had directed Omar Abdullah to pay monthly maintenance of ₹1.5 lakh to Payal Abdullah, along with ₹60,000 per month each for their two sons.
The Supreme Court is currently examining Omar Abdullah’s appeal against the High Court’s ruling. Despite the prolonged nature of the dispute and unsuccessful mediation attempts in the past, the court has opted to provide the couple with one last opportunity to reach an amicable resolution before proceeding further.
