Muslim woman entitled to seek maintenance from spouse under section 125 of CrpC: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a Muslim woman can seek maintenance from her husband under section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which is applicable to all married women irrespective of religion.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih, which pronounced a separate but concurrent verdict, said section 125 of the erstwhile CrPC which deals with wife’s legal right to maintenance, covers Muslim women.

“We are hereby dismissing the criminal appeal with the major conclusion that section 125 would be applicable to all women and not just married women,” Justice Nagarathna said while pronouncing the verdict.

The bench said maintenance is not charity but the right of married women and it is applicable to all married women irrespective of their religion.