---
title: "Shah Bano Case (1985): Maintenance & UCC | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Shah Bano case (1985) ruled divorced Muslim women can claim CrPC Section 125 maintenance, triggering the 1986 Act and the Uniform Civil Code debate."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/shah-bano-case-1985"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Shah Bano Begum (1985) was a Supreme Court of India judgment holding that a divorced Muslim woman could claim maintenance from her former husband under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
- What did the Shah Bano judgment actually hold?
- How did the government respond to the judgment?
- How does Danial Latifi (2001) relate to Shah Bano?
- Why is Shah Bano linked to the Uniform Civil Code debate?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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Example

In 1985 the Supreme Court of India, in a bench led by Chief Justice Y. V. Chandrachud, ordered Mohd. Ahmed Khan to pay maintenance to his divorced wife Shah Bano Begum under Section 125 CrPC.

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