Indian-origin woman wins Rs 85 crore in UK after a 23-year divorce battle

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Indian-origin woman wins Rs 85 crore in UK after a 23-year divorce battle

The case began in 2002 and was reopened years later after new evidence showed that her former husband had not disclosed his full wealth during the divorce.

3 min readJun 5, 2026 09:24 AM IST

First published on: Jun 5, 2026 at 09:24 AM IST

Varsha Gohil filed for divorce in May 2002, citing adultery and unreasonable behaviour. (Photo: X/@JonArmstrongLaw)

An Indian-origin woman in the United Kingdom has been awarded £6.6 million (around Rs 85 crore), bringing an end to a divorce case that lasted 23 years.

The UK Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court ruling in favour of Varsha Gohil, closing the long-running dispute, according to PTI reports quoting The Times.

The case began in 2002 and was reopened years later after new evidence showed that her former husband had not disclosed his full wealth during the divorce.

What was the original divorce settlement

Varsha Gohil filed for divorce in May 2002, citing adultery and unreasonable behaviour. The couple had three children.

The case was settled the same year. She accepted £270,000 (around Rs 3.4 crore) and a family car.

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However, she later raised concerns that her former husband, solicitor Bhadresh Gohil, had not fully disclosed his assets, which is required under UK law.

What changed: Criminal case exposed hidden assets

The case took a turn in the late 2000s when Bhadresh Gohil was investigated in a money-laundering case linked to associates of former Nigerian governor James Ibori.

He was accused of moving large sums through offshore companies and client accounts. In 2011, he was convicted of money laundering, forgery and conspiracy to defraud and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The investigation revealed assets worth nearly £28 million (around Rs 360 crore), which had not been disclosed earlier. Authorities froze these assets as part of criminal proceedings.

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Why the case was reopened

The new evidence led Varsha Gohil to challenge the earlier settlement. In 2015, the UK Supreme Court allowed her to reopen the case.

The court held that a person cannot benefit from hiding assets during divorce proceedings. This ruling is now used as a reference in similar cases involving undisclosed wealth.

Why there was a dispute over assets

After the case was reopened, there was a legal dispute over whether the assets were criminal proceeds or part of marital wealth.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) argued that the entire £28 million should be treated as proceeds of crime.

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Bhadresh Gohil denied ownership of the assets. Varsha Gohil argued that some of the money came from legitimate business activities during the marriage.

What the court said

The High Court examined all claims and found that part of the assets was legitimate.

Justice Williams said, “The husband’s conduct is at the highest end of the scale in terms of dishonesty and its consequences.”

He also described the conduct as “thoroughly and pervasively dishonest,” as reported by Daily Mail.

The court identified £6.66 million (around Rs 85 crore) as untainted assets and awarded this amount to Varsha Gohil.

Why this case matters

The ruling shows that divorce settlements can be reopened if there is proof that assets were hidden.

It also highlights the legal conflict between criminal confiscation of assets and division of property in divorce cases.

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The Court of Appeal later dismissed further challenges, allowing the High Court order to stand and bringing the case to a close.

For Varsha Gohil, the decision ends a legal battle that began as a routine divorce but continued for more than two decades after new financial details emerged.

(With inputs from agencies)

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