A 70-year-old farmer from Karnal, Haryana, has officially ended his 44-year marriage after a protracted 18-year legal struggle. Subash Chand reached a settlement with his estranged wife, Santosh Kumari, 73, finalizing their divorce and agreeing to a substantial alimony payment of Rs 3.1 crore.
To meet the terms of the settlement, Chand sold agricultural land, crops, and provided gold and silver ornaments valued at Rs 40 lakh. The agreement, mediated by the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s Mediation and Conciliation Centre, ensures that Kumari and their children will have no further claims on Chand’s assets after his death.
The agreement was approved by a bench of the High Court, including Justices Sudhir Singh and Jasjit Singh Bedi, formally dissolving the marriage. The terms of the agreement state that Chand has paid Rs 3.07 crore in permanent alimony, and that Kumari and the children will have no claim to his estate or property, even after his passing.
Chand and Kumari were married on August 27, 1980, and had four children, one of whom has since passed away. Their relationship began to deteriorate in 2006 due to “temperamental differences,” leading to their separation. Chand filed for divorce citing mental cruelty, but his petition was initially rejected by the Karnal family court in 2013.
Undeterred, Chand appealed the decision to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where the case continued for 11 years. In November 2024, the case was referred for mediation.
Chand’s lawyer, Advocate Rajinder Goel, confirmed that the divorce settlement included Rs 50 lakh in cash from crop sales, Rs 2.16 crore via demand draft, and the Rs 40 lakh in gold and silver ornaments. As part of the agreement, Kumari and their children relinquished all rights to Chand’s property, a decision acknowledged and formalized by the court. The divorce was finalized last week.
