A 26-year-old homemaker has moved the Shahpur police, accusing her husband of abusing her verbally and allegedly ending their marriage by pronouncing instant triple talaq during a phone call, following a dispute over food sent from her parental home.
According to the complaint, filed on January 27, Mumtaz Banu Sheikh, a resident of Meghaninagar, said she had been staying at her mother’s house in Shahpur for about 10 days along with her three young children to attend her brother’s wedding. The marriage ceremony took place on January 17, and she had travelled with her husband’s consent after the recent death of her father-in-law.
According to media reports, Mumtaz stated that she married Munaf Mehbubbhai Sheikh in 2016 in accordance with Muslim rites and customs. The couple has three children aged eight, five and two years. On January 18, after a meal was organised at her parental home, food was packed in tiffin boxes and sent to her husband and mother-in-law through a relative.
Later that evening, at around 8.15 pm, she allegedly received a call from her husband, who objected strongly to the food that had been sent. In her complaint, the woman claimed that he made derogatory remarks about the meal and demanded that she justify it to her in-laws. She further alleged that the conversation soon escalated, with her husband verbally abusing her.
The complainant told police that when she tried to calm the situation and reason with him, her husband said he would “take a decision” about their marriage. When she asked what he meant, she alleged that he pronounced instant triple talaq over the phone, leaving her shocked, scared and emotionally shaken.
After the incident, the woman informed her parents and brothers and decided to seek police intervention. In her statement, she named her immediate family members as witnesses and sought legal action against her husband.
Under Indian law, instant triple talaq—also known as talaq-e-biddat—has been declared illegal. The Supreme Court, in a landmark 2017 judgment, held the practice unconstitutional, observing that it violates the fundamental rights of Muslim women. Subsequently, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, criminalised the practice, making the pronouncement of instant triple talaq a punishable offence.
The law was enacted to protect Muslim women from arbitrary and unilateral divorce, recognising that instant triple talaq leaves women financially and socially vulnerable. Any attempt to dissolve a marriage through this method has no legal validity, and the husband can face imprisonment and fines if found guilty.
Police officials confirmed that they have received the woman’s application and have initiated a preliminary inquiry. Statements of all concerned parties will be recorded as part of the investigation to verify the allegations and determine further legal action.
Also Read: ‘Triple Talaq’ Makes Muslim Women’s Condition Pathetic: Centre https://www.vibesofindia.com/triple-talaq-makes-muslim-womens-condition-pathetic-centre/
