Within hours after the new Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) legislation was enacted on Thursday, the police late in the night registered the triple talaq case against a Muslim husband and two of his family members at the minority community-dominated mini township of Mumbra in the adjoining Thane district of Maharashtra.
Acting on a complaint lodged by victim woman Jannat Begum Patel (31), the Mumbra police booked her husband Imtiyaz Ghulam Patel (35), mother-in-law Heena Ghulam Hussain Patel and sister-in-law Sultana Ghulam Hussain Patel under section 498 A (husband or relative of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) read with section 34 (common intent) of Indian Penal Code and section 4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019.
Confirming that the newly enacted triple talaq law had been invoked in registering a case against Imtiyaz Patel and two of his family members, senior police inspector Madhukar Kad of the Mumbra police station told “The Pioneer” on Friday: “Yes. Last night, we booked the complainant’s husband and two of his family members under section 4 of the new triple law and other relevant sections of IPC”.
However, the police have not arrested the victim woman’s husband Imtiyaz Patel or two of his family members in connection. “We have not arrested any one at this juncture. We will do whatever is necessary during the course of investigations,” Kad said.
Incidentally, the Mumbra police registered a case against husband Imityaz Patel under the triple law at 9.32 pm on Thursday, hours after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which had been passed by both the Houses of Parliament earlier in the week. After the President’s assent, the bill became a law.