SC Ends ‘Royal’ Marriage After Fight Over 1951 Rolls Royce, Orders Rs 2.25 Crore Settlement

A marriage that began with claims of royal lineage and a symbolic ceremony in Rishikesh has ended in the Supreme Court, after allegations of dowry demands involving an antique Rolls Royce car once ordered by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the Maharani of Baroda.

On August 29, 2025, a bench of Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pacholi dissolved the marriage of Katyayani Angre and Arjun Singh Kak under Article 142 of the Constitution. The judges recorded a mediated settlement under which the husband agreed to pay Rs 2.25 crore to the wife.

The bench noted that both parties confirmed their agreement. “In exercise of the power conferred upon us by Article 142 of the Constitution of India, we dissolve the marriage between the petitioner and respondent No.1. There shall be no relationship, matrimonial or otherwise, between them hitherto,” the order stated.

As part of the deal, the woman will retain all gifts given by her husband and his family. The man has agreed to return items including the engagement ring, achkan buttons and a 10 gram ginni. He also handed over a bank draft of Rs 1 crore and the gifts on the same day in court, promising to clear the remaining Rs 1.25 crore by November 30, 2025.

The parties jointly declared that this was a full and final settlement, closing all disputes and barring future claims. They also agreed not to defame each other in any form, including on social media. Pending criminal and civil cases filed by them against each other were quashed.

The wife had approached the Supreme Court challenging a December 5, 2023 order of the Gwalior bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court that quashed her complaint of dowry demand and cruelty. She claimed her husband and in-laws harassed her for a 1951 Rolls Royce and a Mumbai flat. According to her, the Rolls Royce was a rare model handmade by HJ Mulliner & Co, ordered on behalf of Maharani Chimna Bai Sahib Gaekwad by Jawaharlal Nehru and passed down in her family. She alleged that her father-in-law and husband openly displayed their fascination for the car and expected it to be gifted to them, and when this demand was not met, she was denied access to her matrimonial home and subjected to character assassination.

She also claimed her family descended from an admiral of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who was declared ruler of the Konkan region, adding to the narrative of a high-status alliance.

The husband denied all allegations. He said that the marriage held on April 20, 2018 in Rishikesh was only a symbolic ritual conducted for astrological reasons on the advice of her family guru. He stated that the couple never stayed together, the marriage was never consummated, and that the registration of the marriage at Gwalior was fraudulent. He accused the wife and her relatives of forgery in creating the marriage certificate. He also denied ever demanding the Rolls Royce or a Mumbai flat.

The Supreme Court in November 2024 had asked the parties to explore mediation, appointing senior advocate R Basant as mediator. After prolonged talks, the mediated settlement was reached.

The case thus closed a chapter that combined extraordinary claims of royal heritage, a legendary vintage car, allegations of dowry harassment, disputes over marriage validity, and criminal complaints on both sides. What began as a ‘royal marriage’ collapsed into litigation across courts before the Supreme Court used its extraordinary powers to bring an end with a binding financial settlement.

Case Title: Katyayani Angre Vs Arjun Singh Kak & Ors

Judgment Date: August 29, 2025

Bench: Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pacholi