New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 29) sought details from the Centre on how many First Information Reports (FIRs) and chargesheets were filed against men for pronouncing instant triple talaq to divorce spouses in violation of the 2019 law that criminalised triple talaq.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar sought the response from the Centre while hearing a bunch of pleas challenging the constitutionality of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights in Marriage) Act 2019.
Apex court was hearing 12 pleas challenging 2019 law
The bench, which was hearing 12 pleas challenging the 2019 law, directed the Central government and other to file their responses to the pleas and fixed the matter for final hearing in the week commencing March 17.
“The respondent (Central government) shall file the total number of FIRs and charge sheets pending under section 3 and 4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Act 2019. The parties to also file written submissions not exceeding three pages in support of their contention,” the bench said.
What did the Centre submit?
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, during the hearing, told the bench that statistics would be important to throw light whether the regressive practice of triple talaq was continuing and if the women were coming forward against the practice.
“This is required to protect the women and should be deterrent,” Mehta said.
What did the petitioners submit?
The counsels representing the petitioners opposed the law, saying no FIRs are registered for months in matrimonial cases and here FIR is filed for mere utterance and that abandoning a wife is not a criminal offence in any other community.
The 2019 law has made instant ‘triple talaq’ illegal and void and it attract a jail term of three years for the husband.
