New Delhi, September 12 – In a packed courtroom, the Supreme Court closed a long-running marital dispute by upholding the divorce of Geeta @ Reeta Mishra and Ajay Kumar Mishra, while directing the husband to contribute ₹10 lakh towards their daughter’s wedding. The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta remarked that a father’s duty to his child remains intact even when the marriage has broken beyond repair.
Background
Geeta and Ajay married in May 1996 and have two children, a daughter born in 1997 and a son in 1999. Trouble brewed early. By 2009, Ajay had filed for divorce alleging cruelty, while Geeta accused him of physical and mental harassment. The years that followed saw a volley of legal battles-domestic violence complaints, maintenance orders, and even a failed DNA test application by Ajay questioning paternity.
Despite a Mahila Court award of maintenance and later compensation for domestic violence, the Family Court granted a divorce in 2019, citing persistent hostility. The Delhi High Court upheld that decree in 2023, observing that repeated police complaints and a decade-long separation proved the marriage had irretrievably broken.
Hearing the final appeal, the Supreme Court noted that reconciliation attempts had failed. “It is evident that the marital relationship between the parties has ceased to exist in substance,” the bench observed. Geeta scaled down her demand, seeking only funds for their daughter’s marriage. Ajay claimed he had no income, but the bench found otherwise. “It is a father’s duty to provide for his children, and meeting the marriage expenses of his daughter is a modest obligation,” the judges said.
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Decision
The Court affirmed the divorce and directed Ajay Kumar Mishra to pay ₹10,00,000 to Geeta by October 15, 2025. Should he default, the registry will revive the appeal for further action. With that, the decade-and-a-half dispute drew to a close at the country’s highest court.
Case: Geeta @ Reeta Mishra vs. Ajay Kumar Mishra
Appeal No.: Civil Appeal Nos. …/2025 (@ SLP (C) Nos. 15168-15173/2024)
Judgment Date: 12 September 2025
