Deoki Panjhiyara vs Shahshi Bhushan Narayan Azad & Anr

The Supreme Court ruled that under Section 12 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, a marriage deemed void due to an existing marriage, as evidenced by a certificate under Section 13 of the Special Marriage Act, 1954, negates the entitlement to maintenance. The Court upheld the High Court's decision that the appellant was not the legally wedded wife of the respondent, thus disallowing her claim for maintenance. The ruling emphasizes the necessity of proving the validity of marriage for claims under the DV Act.