A. HANUMANTHU, J.

( 1 ) THE legal point involved in this appeal is whether a Hindu woman who is married, after coming into force the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (hereinafter called as Act), to a Hindu male having a living lawfully wedded wife, can maintain a claim for maintenance under Section 18 of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 (hereinafter called as Maintenance Act ).

( 2 ) HAVING disagreed with the view expressed by a single Judge of this Court in "c. Obula Konda Reddy vs. Pedda Venkata Lakshmamma1 that the hindu wife contemplated by Section 18 of the Maintenance Act means, a Hindu wife whose marriage is solemnized, though void under the Hindu Marriage Act, she is entitled to claim maintenance from the husband, our learned brother Ramesh madhav Bapat, J. made this reference to lay down the correct position of law to the Division Bench/full Bench/larger Bench. This is how this appeal has come up before this Full Bench.

( 3 ) IN the reference order, our learned brother has narrated the facts leading to filing of this appeal and briefly stated, they are as under :- the appellant herein is the defendant and the respondent herein is the plaintiff in O. S. No. 131/1987