A woman whose husband allegedly locked her up in a room for a month after giving her triple talaq has died in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, The Indian Express reported on Thursday. The woman’s family had rescued her in April, following which she was undergoing treatment. The Supreme Court had struck down the Islamic practice of triple talaq in August last year.
A First Information Report was registered on May 5 against Razia’s husband and family members under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, but the six named in the complaint are yet to be arrested. “The charges under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) were added to the FIR after Razia’s death, on the basis of a fresh complaint by her sister,” said Superintendent of Police (Rural) Satish Kumar.
Razia’s sister, Tara Bi, alleged that Razia’s husband used to beat her up for dowry, reported ANI. “In April, Naeem gave her talaq over phone,” Tara Bi said. “He returned home after a few days and then locked her in a small room of his house and didn’t even give her food or water.”
Tara Bi said Naeem locked up Razia for a month and then took her to his maternal uncle’s house and confined her in another room there. “A local resident informed me about this,” Tara Bi told The Indian Express. “We had no information as my sister’s husband never allowed us to visit his house or talk to her. We went to Iqbal’s [Naeem’s uncle] house, rescued my sister and brought her home. She was in a terrible condition so we got her admitted in a hospital.”
Chief Medical Superintendent of Bareilly district hospital Dr K S Gupta said Razia was severely anaemic. On July 3, Gupta had recommended that Razia be taken to King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, however, the family reportedly took her home. She died on Monday while on the way to the Lucknow hospital.
Inspector General (Bareilly Range) Dhruv Kumar Thakur, said the woman’s complaint had focussed on triple talaq and dowry. “It did not clearly mention that she was tortured or physically assaulted by her husband or in-laws,” Thakur said. “She did not appear for the mediation. Also, the initial medical report failed to alert us about her critical condition.”
Founder of NGO Mera Haq, Farhat Naqvi, told ANI that Razia’s husband Naeem was married earlier and had tortured his first wife in the same way. The NGO had helped rescue Razia from her husband’s house.
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