Telangana Couple's Divorce After 17 Years Of Separation, Rs 50 Lakh Alimony

Ending a nearly two-decade-long legal battle, the Telangana High Court has upheld a divorce decree in a long-fractured marriage, ordering the husband to pay a lump sum of Rs 50 lakh as permanent alimony and maintenance.

A division bench of Justices K Lakshman and Narsing Rao Nandikonda observed that the marriage had reached a point of "irretrievable breakdown," with no possibility of reconciliation after 17 years of living apart.

The marital dispute between Dronamraju Srikanth Phani Kumar and Dronamraju Vijaya Lakshmi dates back to their marriage in May 2002.

In 2003, the couple began living separately shortly after the birth of their daughter. The husband approached the Family Court seeking a divorce on the grounds of cruelty and desertion in 2008.

The wife filed for the "restitution of conjugal rights," expressing a desire to reunite for the sake of their child's future. While the Family Court originally granted the divorce, the wife challenged the decision in the High Court.

In its judgment delivered this month, the High Court emphasised that the "sheer volume of litigation" and "deep-seated mistrust" made any chance of a reunion impossible. The bench noted that forcing the parties to remain in a legal union when there was "no intention to cooperate" would serve no purpose.

Justice K Lakshman stated that continuing the marriage would only "prolong hostility" rather than offer any emotional or social benefit to either party.

To ensure a "full and final settlement" of all outstanding claims-including multiple maintenance cases and property, the court directed the husband to pay Rs 50 lakh within three months.

This amount covers permanent alimony for the wife and maintenance for their daughter. Once the payment is made, the wife and daughter are barred from making any further financial or property claims against the husband. With this ruling, the wife's plea to reunite was dismissed, and the divorce was finalised.

This judgment follows a growing trend in India's higher judiciary, where courts use their inherent powers to grant a divorce based on the "irretrievable breakdown of marriage", a practical ground for ending long-term separations, even though it is not explicitly mentioned in the Hindu Marriage Act.