VANAMALA vs H.M.RANGANATHA BHATTA

The Supreme Court held that under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a divorced woman is entitled to maintenance if she has not remarried and can prove neglect or refusal of maintenance by her ex-husband. The Court clarified that the definition of 'wife' in the context of Section 125 includes a divorced woman, as long as she has not remarried. The Court overturned the High Court's decision, affirming the Sessions Court's ruling that the appellant was entitled to maintenance despite the divorce being by mutual consent.