A decades-long legal dispute over hidden wealth and financial disclosure in divorce proceedings has concluded in the United Kingdom, with Indian-origin woman Varsha Gohil securing a £6.6 million settlement after more than 20 years of litigation.

The case, which began as a relatively routine divorce proceeding in 2002, evolved into one of the most closely watched family law disputes in recent UK legal history after subsequent criminal investigations uncovered substantial assets that had not been disclosed during the original settlement process.

Varsha Gohil filed for divorce from her husband, Bhadresh Gohil, in 2002, citing adultery and unreasonable behaviour. The couple, who had three children, reached a financial settlement under which Varsha Gohil received approximately £270,000 and retained the family Peugeot vehicle.

At the time, the agreement appeared to resolve the financial aspects of the divorce. However, Varsha Gohil maintained concerns that her former husband had not fully disclosed his assets during the proceedings.

Those concerns gained renewed significance several years later when Bhadresh Gohil became the subject of a major criminal investigation involving allegations of money laundering linked to associates of former Nigerian state governor James Ibori.

Prosecutors alleged that Bhadresh Gohil had assisted in moving millions of pounds through offshore entities and financial structures spanning multiple jurisdictions. Following a lengthy investigation and prosecution, he was convicted of money laundering, forgery and conspiracy to defraud.

In 2011, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.The criminal proceedings revealed assets valued at tens of millions of pounds that had not emerged during the original divorce case. Prosecutors subsequently sought to freeze approximately £28 million in assets that they alleged had been concealed through an international network of companies and financial arrangements.

The emergence of previously undisclosed wealth provided the foundation for Varsha Gohil’s efforts to revisit the original settlement.The dispute ultimately reached the UK’s highest court. In a landmark 2015 ruling, the UK Supreme Court allowed the financial settlement to be reopened, establishing that a party who fails to make full and frank disclosure of assets during divorce proceedings should not benefit from that conduct.

The decision was regarded as a significant development in family law, reinforcing the principle that transparency is fundamental to the fair division of matrimonial assets.Despite the Supreme Court ruling, the litigation continued for several more years as competing claims emerged over the ownership and legal status of the frozen assets.

The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service argued that the wealth represented proceeds of criminal activity and should therefore remain subject to confiscation proceedings. Varsha Gohil contended that at least part of the assets had been generated through legitimate business activities during the marriage and consequently formed part of the matrimonial estate.

At the same time, Bhadresh Gohil disputed ownership of the assets, arguing that they did not belong to him.The competing claims eventually came before the High Court, where Justice Williams was tasked with determining the extent to which the frozen wealth could properly be considered matrimonial property.

Following a detailed examination of the evidence, the court concluded that a portion of the assets had legitimate origins and should be treated as part of the marital estate. Justice Williams identified approximately £6.66 million in assets that were not tainted by criminal activity and awarded that amount to Varsha Gohil.

In his judgment, the judge was highly critical of Bhadresh Gohil’s conduct throughout the litigation and related proceedings.According to reports of the ruling, Justice Williams stated that the husband’s conduct was “at the highest end of the scale in terms of dishonesty and its consequences.”The judge also reportedly described Bhadresh Gohil as “thoroughly and pervasively dishonest” in his assessment of the evidence presented before the court.

Reflecting on the extensive history of the litigation, Justice Williams observed that the Gohil case would remain memorable to lawyers and judges because of the complex and prolonged route it had taken through multiple courts and jurisdictions.

The proceedings have drawn attention within legal circles because they combined elements of family law, criminal law, asset recovery and international financial investigations. The dispute also highlighted the challenges courts face when determining whether wealth uncovered through criminal investigations should be available for matrimonial claims.

Last month, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that no further appeals would be permitted, effectively bringing the litigation to an end after more than two decades of legal proceedings.

The final award of £6.6 million, equivalent to roughly Rs 85 crore, marks the conclusion of a case that began with a modest divorce settlement and evolved into a landmark legal battle over hidden assets, financial disclosure and the intersection of criminal and family law.

In a joint statement, Ukraine’s anti-graft agencies said a former senior official was suspected of participating in a criminal group that allegedly laundered around $10.5 million through a luxury residential development near Kyiv.

The agencies did not publicly identify the suspect, in accordance with Ukrainian legal procedure, but local media widely identified the individual as Yermak, once regarded as one of the most influential figures in the presidential administration.

Speaking to Radio Liberty, Yermak denied owning property in the housing complex linked to the investigation, but declined to comment further on the allegations.

The probe forms part of a broader anti-corruption investigation launched last year that has implicated several high-profile political and business figures tied to the Ukrainian government.

In November, prosecutors accused a former business associate of Zelensky of orchestrating a $100 million kickback scheme connected to the state atomic energy sector. A former deputy prime minister with close ties to the president was also charged in the same investigation.

Zelensky’s communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, told reporters it was premature to comment on the case against Yermak because procedural steps were still underway.

Yermak, a former film producer and entertainment lawyer, emerged as a central power broker after Zelensky took office. He frequently accompanied the president at official events and played a leading role in negotiations linked to U.S.-backed peace initiatives involving Russia.

His resignation last year came during a broader reshuffle within the Ukrainian government aimed at restoring public confidence amid growing criticism over concentrated authority within the president’s office.

The latest allegations come as Ukraine continues to rely heavily on Western military and financial support, with Kyiv under sustained pressure from allies to demonstrate progress in combating entrenched corruption and strengthening institutional transparency during wartime.

Reza Dindar, 44, was arrested in Panama in July at the request of U.S. authorities and transferred to the United States last week. He made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle, with arraignment scheduled for May 1, according to officials.

Prosecutors allege that Dindar conspired to violate longstanding U.S. trade sanctions by acquiring military sonar components under false pretenses and rerouting them to Iran. The indictment, unsealed Friday, charges him with conspiracy, smuggling and money laundering.

According to court documents, Dindar operated a company, New Port Sourcing Solutions, based in Xi’an, China, and between 2011 and 2012 arranged the purchase of parts for three military sonar systems from a business in Washington state.

Prosecutors said the transactions were carried out using deceptive practices, including misrepresenting the final destination of the equipment and asserting that no export license was required.

The components, valued at $97,600, were allegedly shipped first to China and then covertly transferred to Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions imposed in 1995 and reinforced in 2001.Authorities have not disclosed Dindar’s whereabouts in the years between the alleged offenses and his arrest.

His attorney, Farhad Alavi, declined to comment.The case underscores ongoing U.S. enforcement efforts targeting alleged sanctions evasion networks involving dual-use or military-sensitive technologies.

In a separate matter, federal prosecutors said a Los Angeles woman was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of assisting Iran in trafficking weapons to Sudan, though officials said the cases are unrelated.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the artworks, valued at approximately $198,000, were retrieved in coordination with U.S. authorities and form part of broader efforts to recover assets allegedly misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad between 2009 and 2014.

The collection includes Picasso’s “L’Ecuyère et les clowns” (1961), alongside works by Joan Miró, Maurice Utrillo and Balthus. Authorities said the pieces had been held in the United States and were among artworks linked to individuals associated with the fund.
The MACC said the items are now under strict security and undergoing environmental stabilisation before authentication and valuation by Malaysia’s National Visual Arts Development Board.

The repatriation follows earlier coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice, as Malaysia continues efforts to trace and recover assets across jurisdictions.
Authorities said some of the recovered works had previously been stored at major auction houses, including Christie’s and Sotheby’s, after being seized from a former lawyer linked to 1MDB.

Malaysia has sought to recover more than $4.5 billion believed to have been siphoned from the sovereign fund in a global scheme involving luxury assets ranging from real estate to artwork.

To date, about 31.2 billion ringgit ($7.90 billion) has been recovered, representing nearly 70% of identified assets, according to the MACC.

The 1MDB case, co-founded by former prime minister Najib Razak, has triggered investigations in multiple countries.

Najib was convicted and jailed in 2022 over charges linked to the scandal, which he has consistently denied.
The MACC said the recovered artworks may be publicly displayed before any decision is made on potential sale.

Li, a former chairman of the board at Huione Pay, is accused of being a core member of a criminal syndicate linked to Chinese-Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Chen was extradited to China in January and is currently in detention, authorities said.The case is part of a broader international crackdown on transnational fraud networks operating across Southeast Asia.

The United States said last October that it and the United Kingdom had taken action against Chen’s Prince Group, describing it as a criminal enterprise involved in online investment scams. U.S. authorities also accused the Huione Group of laundering proceeds from such schemes, as well as cyber heists linked to North Korea.

According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Huione Group allegedly laundered at least $4 billion in illicit proceeds between August 2021 and January 2025.

Reuters could not seek comment from Huione, which has since been dissolved. A U.S.-based representative for Prince Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours.

Cambodian government spokesperson Touch Sokhak said China had sent experts to assist local authorities in the investigation, which ultimately led to Li’s arrest and extradition.

“This shows Cambodia’s will to clear out online scams and that Cambodia is not a safe haven for scam criminals,” Sokhak said.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing would continue to work with Cambodia to combat cross-border telecommunications fraud, highlighting deepening cooperation between the two countries in tackling organised financial crime.

According to officials, the searches were related to possible violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The agency targeted NGOs and firms funded by OSF and SEDF, as well as Aspada Investments Private Limited, a holding company of SEDF. Authorities stated that Aspada acts as an investment advisor and fund manager for SEDF in India and is a wholly owned subsidiary of a Mauritius-based entity.

Officials revealed that the agency traced a money trail of INR25 crore from Soros-linked companies to several Indian NGOs. Additionally, foreign direct investment (FDI) amounting to INR300 crore, funneled through OSF’s subsidiaries, is under scrutiny. It is believed that SEDF has funded over a dozen companies in India with investments totaling INR300 crore.

ED’s Investigation into Foreign Funding

A senior officer, speaking anonymously, confirmed that ED recently launched a FEMA probe against Soros and his companies. “Our teams carried out raids at eight locations in Bengaluru to investigate contraventions in FDI rules by SEDF and OSF and the subsequent utilization of those funds,” the officer said.

Preliminary investigations indicate that OSF was placed under the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) prior reference category in 2016, restricting it from making unregulated donations to Indian NGOs. However, officials suspect OSF circumvented these restrictions by establishing subsidiaries in India and routing funds under the guise of FDI and consultancy fees.

A second official noted that ED is examining the end-use of other FDI funds brought in by SEDF and OSF in India.

SEDF’s Investment History in India

According to VCCEdge, the data platform owned by HT Media, SEDF invested INR50 crore in its impact-focused subsidiary, Aspada Investments, in 2013. Aspada Fund 1, its first fund, later raised around INR271 crore, which it used to invest in over a dozen companies, including quick commerce platform Dunzo Digital, WayCool Foods and Products, and NeoGrowth Credit.

SEDF later sold a controlling stake in Aspada to LGT, a private banking and asset management group owned by the Princely House of Liechtenstein. In 2021, this entity was renamed Lightrock, which continues to invest in impact-driven businesses in India.

OSF’s Presence and Restrictions in India

OSF, one of the world’s largest private funders of human rights advocacy, impact investment, and justice-related initiatives, began operations in India in 1999. However, officials confirm that OSF does not have a formal office in the country.

The organization’s website acknowledges that its funding activities in India have been constrained since mid-2016 due to government restrictions.

Political Controversy Surrounding George Soros

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government has previously linked Soros to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. In December 2024, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused the Congress of collaborating with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global investigative journalism initiative allegedly backed by Soros’ OSF, to undermine India’s Parliament and government. BJP MP Sambit Patra also alleged that Rahul Gandhi was part of a “triangle” with Soros and OCCRP aimed at destabilizing India.

Neither OSF nor SEDF has responded to queries regarding the ED’s latest actions.