Polygamy and nikah halala petitioner Shabnam Rani was attacked with acid on Thursday in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district, Firstpost reported. The attack was allegedly carried out by her brother-in-law and his aides.
Rani is currently hospitalised and her condition is said to be stable, India Today reported.
Rani, who was married for eight years, had alleged that her husband divorced her through triple talaq. She further accused him of forcing her to perform nikah halala with her brother-in-law when she moved the Supreme Court against the practice.
Muslim men are allowed to have four wives. The practice of “nikah halala” bars a man from remarrying his former wife unless she has married another man, consummated that marriage and divorced him. The woman is also expected to observe a separation period called “iddat” before she reconciles with her first husband.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear a petition in connection with the acid attack on Rani on Monday, Bar and Bench reported. It has directed that the petition copy be served to the Uttar Pradesh government.
In March, the Supreme Court had said it will examine the constitutional validity of practices such as polygamy and nikah halala among Muslims and asked the Centre and the Law Commission to clarify their positions on abolishing these.
In August 2017, the Supreme Court struck down the practice of instant triple talaq, calling it unconstitutional and in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which provides for equality before the law.
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