'Second wife has right to maintenance'

In a significant ruling, the Delhi HC has held that a man's second wife has the right to claim maintenance in the event of a divorce, reports Harish V Nair.

In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court has held that a man's second wife has the right to claim maintenance in the event of a divorce if he had misrepresented himself as a bachelor to trick her into a marriage.

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The court said though a bigamous marriage is illegal under the Hindu Law, the woman whose life has been ruined on account of the deceitful act, is entitled to a lump sum amount in the form of damages.

A Bench of Justices AK Sikri and Aruna Suresh said this while setting aside a trial court order dismissing a petition filed by Narinder Kaur seeking maintenance.