Triple talaq on video call: Mumbai police probe dowry harassment case against husband, in-laws

Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 4 (ANI): A woman has accused her husband and in-laws of harassment over dowry demands and being divorced via triple talaq on a video call. A case has been filed under the Muslim Women (Protection of Marriage Rights) Bill and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Mumbai police have registered a case against a man working in the United Kingdom (UK) and his parents for allegedly harassing his wife over dowry and divorcing her through triple talaq on a video call.
The victim, a resident of Seawoods, filed the complaint with NRI Sagar Police, leading to charges under various sections of the Muslim Women (Protection of Marriage Rights) Bill and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Speaking to ANI, the victim alleges that her marriage to Aaqib Bhatiwala in 2022, conducted as per Muslim customs, initially appeared peaceful. However, after moving into her in-laws' residence in Wadala, the harassment began. Matters worsened when she travelled to the UK with her husband and in-laws, where the abuse reportedly continued.
The victim claimed that following a domestic dispute, her husband confiscated her jewelry and sent her back to India, cutting off communication. Subsequently, she received a divorce through triple talaq during a video call. Even after returning to the UK, the victim claims she was denied entry to her husband's home.
Based on her complaint, authorities have initiated an investigation into the matter. Triple Talaq is the process of divorce under Islamic law where a husband could divorce his wife by pronouncing 'Talaq' three times.
In August 2017, a 5 Judge SC bench held that the practice of Talaq-e-biddat or Triple Talaq was 'manifestly arbitrary' and unconstitutional. In 2019, Parliament enacted the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 which made the practice of talaq-e-biddat a criminal act, punishable with up to three years' imprisonment. (ANI)