After a prolonged legal battle, a mother of three involved in what is believed to be the longest-running divorce case in Britain has been granted £6.6 million from her former husband’s fortune. Varsha Gohil, aged 61 and residing in north London, initiated divorce proceedings against her ex-husband, Bhadresh Gohil, a solicitor, in May 2002, citing reasons of adultery and unreasonable behavior. Despite accepting a financial settlement of £270,000 and a Peugeot car at the time, Varsha suspected that her ex-husband was concealing significant wealth.
Over the course of the next two decades, Varsha’s suspicions were confirmed as it was revealed that Bhadresh Gohil had hidden assets worth £28 million in various corporate entities worldwide. This divorce case, now considered a landmark in British legal history, went through multiple twists and turns, with Varsha seeking to challenge the original settlement in 2007.
Varsha’s case gained strength in 2011 when her ex-husband was convicted of money laundering, forgery, and conspiracy to defraud, resulting in a ten-year prison sentence. Bhadresh, a former solicitor linked to a major fraud and money-laundering scheme, had facilitated money laundering activities through his firm’s client accounts.
The hidden funds, amounting to approximately £28 million, were traced across a network of companies globally, leading to a series of legal battles culminating in a Supreme Court decision in 2015. The ruling allowed Varsha to contest her initial settlement, highlighting that spouses withholding financial information should not be able to offer deceptive settlements.
Despite the legal breakthrough, disputes over the assets persisted for years as attempts were made to recover the frozen funds and resolve ownership conflicts. The case finally reached the High Court in 2023, where competing claims were presented by Varsha Gohil, her ex-husband, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Ultimately, Mr. Justice Williams determined that the assets belonged to Bhadresh Gohil, stating that the prosecutors had failed to prove the entire sum was criminally derived. Varsha Gohil was awarded £6.6 million from these assets, deemed to be clean and rightfully part of their marital estate.