A Muslim divorced woman can apply directly to the Wakf Board when there is no relative to support her.…

In "Secretary, T.N. Wakf Board v. Syed Fatima Nachi" (1996) the Supreme Court held that under section 4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, a divorced woman who cannot maintain herself and has no relatives able to maintain her may claim maintenance against the State Wakf Board directly, pleading and proving the relatives' inability in the same proceeding instead of first suing each of them. Shah Bano concerned maintenance under section 125 CrPC, and the other cases did not decide this point.