New Delhi, Sep 19: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance on instant triple talaq, months after the government failed to pass the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, which seeks to criminalise the controversial Islamic practice, in Rajya Sabha. The Triple Talaq Bill has been stuck in the Upper House due to Opposition demands on making the offence bailable.
The government recently made amendments to the Triple Talaq Bill. As per the amended Bill, a magistrate can grant bail to men found guilty of giving instant triple talaq to their wives. The Bill criminalises triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat, an Islamic practice allows Muslim men to call off their marriage by saying ‘talaq’ thrice, a non-bailable offence. The Lok Sabha passed the Triple Talaq Bill in December last year.
“Any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal,” says the clause 3 of the Triple Talaq Bill. As per the proposed Bill, a Muslim man who is accused of giving triple talaq to his wife can be arrested without an arrest warrant. The Bill proposes that a man who pronounces triple talaq shall be punished with a three-year jail term and a fine.
