Man pronounces 'triple talaq' on wife over phone from Saudi Arabia, booked

A man was booked for allegedly pronouncing 'talaq' thrice on his wife over phone in neighbouring Kushinagar district, police said on Saturday, four days after the passage of a bill in Parliament that criminalises such practice.

An FIR under section 4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act was lodged against the man at Nebua Naurangia police station following a written compliant by the father of the woman, they said.

Ahmed Ali told police that his son-in-law Abdul Raheem, who is working in Saudi Arabia, divorced his daughter Fatima Khatoon by uttering 'talaq' three times over phone on Wednesday.

Raheem had married Khatoon, 25, a resident of Jakhnia village, in 2014. He went to Saudi Arabia four months after the marriage.

Ali said Raheem used to visit his family but his behaviour with Khatoon was not good. He alleged that Raheem's family members were also harassing his daughter.

On Wednesday when my daughter was busy in household chores, her father-in-law Tarabuddin gave her his mobile phone and asked to talk to her husband. Raheem pronounced 'talaq' three times and cut the phone line, Ali wrote in his complaint to police.

When we reached at my daughter's house, Tarabuddin called a panchayat, gave a cheque of Rs 1.5 lakh and said the marriage is over, he said.

The woman's husband is in Saudi Arabia and we are sending a notice through the proper channel and also taking the statements of both the parties, Superintendent of Police, Kushinagar, R N Mishra said.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill prescribing up to three years imprisonment for men giving instant triple talaq to their wives was passed by Parliament on Tuesday.

President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the triple talaq bill on Thursday.