Telangana HC ends 17-year marital battle, orders ₹50 lakh alimony

Bringing closure to a bitter marital dispute that dragged on for nearly two decades, the Telangana High Court has upheld the dissolution of a marriage fractured beyond repair and ordered the husband to pay ₹50 lakh as permanent alimony and maintenance in a full and final settlement.

A bench comprising Justices K Lakshman and Narsing Rao Nandikonda, in a common judgment on December 1, affirmed the Family Court’s decree of divorce in the long-running dispute between Dronamraju Vijaya Lakshmi and Dronamraju Srikanth Phani Kumar, observing that the marriage had irretrievably broken down with “no possibility of re-union”.

The couple, married in May 2002, have lived separately since 2003, shortly after the birth of their daughter. The legal battle formally began in 2008 when the husband approached the court seeking divorce on grounds of cruelty and desertion, while the wife countered with a petition seeking restitution of conjugal rights.

Over the years, the conflict escalated into a web of litigation, including multiple criminal complaints under Section 498-A of the IPC, maintenance proceedings, and even a dispute over a gift deed executed by the husband’s father in favour of their daughter. Although the Family Court granted divorce in February 2015, the wife challenged the ruling, prolonging the legal contest.

During the appeal proceedings, the High Court noted that despite an earlier plea by the wife to reunite for the sake of their daughter—now a 22-year-old MBBS student—both parties ultimately showed no willingness to resume marital life. The bench pointed to deep-seated mistrust and the sheer volume of litigation as clear indicators that the relationship had reached a point of no return.

Writing the judgment, Justice K Lakshman underscored the futility of forcing a reunion in a marriage devoid of trust and mutual intent to cohabit. “In the absence of trust, love and affection and intention to cohabitate with each other, there is no possibility to direct the parties to lead conjugal life,” the court observed, warning that any such attempt would only breed further disputes.

While confirming the divorce, the High Court also found fault with the Family Court for not awarding permanent alimony or providing for the daughter’s maintenance. To comprehensively settle all pending claims—including maintenance cases and property disputes—the bench directed the husband to pay a lump sum of ₹50 lakh within three months.

The court clarified that the amount constitutes a “full and final settlement” covering permanent alimony for the wife and maintenance for the daughter. Upon payment, both the wife and daughter will be barred from raising any further claims against the husband or his properties.

With this direction, the wife’s appeal seeking restitution of conjugal rights was dismissed, and the divorce decree was finalized, bringing an end to a 17-year-long legal and marital impasse.