UK’s 23-year-old divorce battle ends: Indian-origin woman awarded Rs 85 crore
Babushahi Bureau
London (UK,), June 5, 2026: One of the longest-running and most remarkable divorce disputes in the UK has finally concluded, with an Indian-origin woman winning a settlement worth £6.6 million (approximately ₹85 crore) after courts found that her former husband had concealed substantial assets during divorce proceedings.
In a landmark judgment, Varsha Gohil was awarded the payout following a legal battle that stretched over 23 years. The ruling is being viewed as a major precedent in British family law, underscoring that spouses who hide wealth cannot benefit from their dishonesty.
The case began in 2002 when Varsha Gohil sought a divorce from her husband, Bhadresh Gohil, on grounds of adultery and unreasonable behaviour. At the time, she accepted a settlement of around £270,000 and the family’s Peugeot car. However, she consistently maintained that her husband had failed to disclose the full extent of his assets.
Years later, her claims gained credibility when Bhadresh Gohil became involved in a major money-laundering investigation linked to associates of former Nigerian governor James Ibori. Investigators uncovered evidence that millions of pounds had been moved through offshore companies and fraudulent financial arrangements. In 2011, Gohil was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering, forgery and fraud.
The criminal probe revealed assets worth millions of pounds that had not been disclosed during the divorce proceedings. Armed with this new evidence, Varsha challenged the original settlement, and the matter eventually reached the UK Supreme Court.
In a landmark 2015 ruling, the Supreme Court allowed the case to be reopened, stating that a spouse should not gain an advantage by concealing assets. Following years of further litigation, the High Court determined that £6.66 million of the frozen wealth represented legitimate marital property rather than proceeds of crime and ordered that it be paid to Varsha Gohil.
Justice Williams sharply criticized Bhadresh Gohil’s conduct, describing him as “utterly dishonest” and noting that the case would remain a significant legal reference for courts and lawyers dealing with financial disclosure disputes.
With the UK’s Court of Appeal confirming that there will be no further appeals, the 23-year legal battle has finally come to a close, marking the end of one of Britain’s most extraordinary divorce cases.