The Supreme Court on Tuesday dissolved a two-decade-old marriage, terming it "emotionally dead", despite the wife's objections, and directed the husband to pay Rs 25 lakh to her within eight weeks.

A bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and B. R. Gavai said: "The marriage between the parties is emotionally dead and there is no point in persuading them to live together any more. Therefore, this is a fit case for exercise of jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution of India. The marriage between the parties is dissolved."