Man divorces wife by uttering triple talaq in Madhya Pradesh; FIR registered

Indore: A man who reportedly divorced his wife by uttering ‘talaq’ three times, a practice outlawed by the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, has been booked on charges of harassing the woman for dowry, the police said on Tuesday.

Women Cell police inspector Jyoti Sharma said as per a complaint by the 26-year-old victim, her husband Ateek Khan (30) called on her mobile phone on Monday and uttered “talaq” three times, and told her that their marriage stood dissolved.

“The two had married on March 25 this year. Khan, his parents, brother and sister-in-law started harassing the complainant for dowry of Rs 5 lakh and a motorcycle,” Sharma said.

They later forced the victim to leave her marital house and return to her parents, the official said.

Based on her complaint, the police on Tuesday booked Khan, his parents, his elder brother and the latter’s wife under sections 498-A (harassment for dowry), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code, Sharma said.

Khan, however, denied the allegation levelled against him and told reporters at the police station that his wife had “forced” him to divorce her.

“My wife wanted to part ways with me for personal reasons, so she forced me to divorce her. She threatened that if I did not divorce her, she would consume poison and end her life,” he claimed.

On triple talaq, the accused said, “This practice is in the Shariat. We follow Shariat”.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha on December 28 last year and awaiting the nod of the Rajya Sabha, renders this form of divorce illegal and void.

Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as emails, SMSs and WhatsApp – is illegal and void.