The Delhi High Court has ruled that a financially independent or self-sufficient wife cannot claim permanent alimony under Section 25 of the Hindu Marriage Act. The bench, comprising Justices Anil Kshetrapal and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, observed that permanent alimony is a measure of social justice, not a means of creating financial equality or redistribution of wealth between capable individuals. The ruling came while upholding a Family Court’s decision to dismiss a woman’s alimony claim and grant divorce to her husband, a lawyer. The wife, a senior Indian Railway Traffic Service officer, had demanded ₹50 lakh as a settlement. The court noted her substantial income and professional status, ruling that she was not entitled to financial support. The bench also cited evidence of the wife’s verbal and mental abuse toward her husband, affirming that the lower court’s decision was fair and legally justified.