New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) In a rare departure from rules, the Supreme Court has directed a woman to pay Rs 10,000 to her estranged husband, who is unemployed, to enable him fight their matrimonial dispute in a Bangalore court.

Normally, under Section 125 CrPC, it is the duty of the husband to pay maintenance allowance to the wife or his parents during a divorce proceeding or thereafter.

But in the instant case, the apex court, after noting that the husband was unemployed, directed the wife Ines Miranda to pay Rs 10,000 to husband Santosh K. Swamy, domiciled in Chennai, to fight the legal battle in Bangalore where the wife is staying along with her daughter.