In April 1978, Shah Bano Begum, a 62-year-old Muslim woman, sought maintenance under Section 125 of the CrPC after being divorced through triple talaq by her husband, Mohd. Ahmed Khan. He claimed that under Muslim Personal Law, support was due only during the iddat period of about three months. This clash between secular and religious laws sparked a nationwide debate on women’s rights and equality. In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Shah Bano, affirming that every woman, regardless of