Triple talaq petitioner from Bengal seeks protection

Ishrat Jahan of West Bengal, one of the five petitioners to the Supreme Court who challenged triple talaq, has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, appealing for police protection in the wake of "threats" to her life.

"My life is in danger. My husband's older brother molested me twice. An FIR was lodged at the police station but no action was taken. So I have no faith in the police station. I request you to take some steps for my protection," Jahan wrote in Hindi.

A copy of the letter dated August 24 that IANS has accessed said: "I am not demanding nor have I ever demanded justice or financial support from the government. But in this fight, the state government and the police have not helped me in any way and that is why I am disappointed. But for my safety and security I want that police should help me."

Jahan, who was divorced by her husband over phone from Dubai, said if anything were to happen to her or her children, the police would be blamed for it.

"If there is any incident (attempts made at my life) or anything happens to my two children then the entire blame for this lies with the police department. I hope that being a woman you will definitely help another woman," Jahan wrote.

Jahan's letter accompanies her lawyer Nazia Elahi Khan's appeal to the Chief Minister, with a copy to Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the chairperson of National Commission for Women Lalitha Kumaramangalam, and Howrah Police Commissionerate, among others.

"Ishrat Jahan is receiving a lot of threat calls, being teased and many more things and you know from my previous complaint letters, the police station is not taking any action and still the local police station Golabari is not in a mood to (ensure) safety and security of Ishrat.

"I am requesting you and I am begging you to please arrange police protection. She is in danger," reads the letter by Elahi, chairperson Women's Resistance Committee, West Bengal.

--IANS

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