New Delhi: A family of six individuals, including the husband, mother-in-law, and father-in-law, were booked for allegedly compelling a woman to vacate their house by giving her triple talaq and subsequently coercing her into 'nikah halala' with her brother-in-law, news agency PTI reported. The family has also been accused of dowry harassment.
The woman, in her complaint, further asserted that her in-laws attempted to kill her. The incident, which took place nearly a week back, surfaced on social media on Thursday.
According to police, the complaint filed at Khodare police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda details the woman's marriage to Tasauvvar, also known as Benchai, on September 25, 2023. Upon moving into her in-laws' residence post-marriage, she discovered that Tasauvvar was previously married with five children. Despite this revelation, she continued residing with him.
The complaint alleges that following the marriage, her in-laws demanded a motorcycle and Rs 1 lakh in cash from her family. On December 10, 2023, she allegedly faced physical assault from her husband, who went on to give her a triple talaq, forcing her out of their home.
Subsequently, the woman lodged a complaint with the police on December 18, 2023. The police facilitated a resolution between the involved parties and reunited the woman with her in-laws on December 30, 2023, PTI reported.
However, upon her return, she was denied entry into the house, citing triple talaq and 'nikah halala'. On January 1, 2024, she was allegedly forced to undergo 'nikah' with her brother-in-law Mohammad Nizam. Following this, Nizam reportedly gave her a triple talaq, prompting her to return to her former husband Tasauvvar.
On January 10, her husband allegedly accompanied her to a private hospital for an abortion of her two-month-old foetus. Despite this, her family members persistently harassed her for dowry, police said, citing her complaint.
"Based on the complaint lodged by the woman, a case has been registered against her husband Tasauvvar alias Benchai, her father-in-law Aslam, brothers-in-law Mohammad Nizam and Tahvvar, mother-in-law and sister-in-law," Manoj Kumar Pathak, SHO of Khodare police station, told PTI.
The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Dowry Prohibition Act, and The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act.
"Evidence of triple talaq and halala has not surfaced during the investigation. The probe is ongoing, and further action will be determined based on gathered evidence," Pathak said, adding “No arrests have been made so far.”