London: An Indian-origin woman has secured a £6.6 million (around ₹85 crore) divorce settlement after a legal battle spanning more than two decades, in what has been described as one of the longest-running divorce disputes in British legal history.

Varsha Gohil, now 61, first filed for divorce from her former husband, lawyer Bhadresh Gohil, in May 2002. Although she initially agreed to a relatively modest financial settlement, the case took a dramatic turn after she found that significant assets had allegedly not been disclosed during the proceedings.

The dispute became further complicated when Bhadresh Gohil became embroiled in a major money-laundering investigation. In 2010, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a corruption-linked case involving a Nigerian client.

The criminal proceedings triggered a separate effort by UK authorities to recover assets connected to the unlawful activities. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) sought confiscation of nearly £28 million (Rs 268 crore) believed to be tied to criminal conduct, while the question of Varsha Gohil's entitlement to a share of legitimate marital assets remained unresolved for years.

According to reports in the UK media, the lengthy legal saga finally reached its conclusion after the Court of Appeal rejected further attempts to challenge a High Court ruling delivered last year. The decision cleared the way for the settlement to be implemented.

In his judgment, Justice Williams sharply criticised the husband's conduct, describing it as being at the most serious end of the spectrum in terms of dishonesty and the impact it had on the proceedings.

The judge noted that despite enduring more than two decades of litigation and facing health challenges as she approaches retirement age, Varsha Gohil had managed to remain financially stable throughout the ordeal.

The court determined that identifiable legitimate assets available for division amounted to approximately £6.66 million. These assets represented just under 24 per cent of the nearly £28 million in recoverable funds linked to the wider financial investigations.

A central issue in the case was whether assets connected to the former husband's businesses should be treated entirely as proceeds of crime. While prosecutors argued that the funds should be reserved exclusively for criminal recovery proceedings, the High Court concluded that part of the wealth had been generated through legitimate business activities during the marriage, giving the former wife a lawful claim.

Justice Williams also highlighted the consequences of Bhadresh Gohil's failure to provide full and accurate financial disclosure, stating that his actions had caused significant hardship for his family and contributed to years of costly and complex litigation.

Reflecting on the extraordinary duration of the case, the judge remarked that the Gohil name would remain familiar to lawyers and judges across multiple jurisdictions because of the unusually complicated path the proceedings had taken.

With PTI inputs