SC orders free treatment, security for nikah halala petitioner

New Delhi, Sep 17: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered security and medical treatment for the Muslim woman who was attacked by her in-law for approaching the court challenging polygamy and nikah halala among Muslim women.

The court said that the attack on the woman took place in Bulandhshahr in Uttar Pradesh. The court directed the UP government to provide her free medical treatment, security and also consider the grant of compensation.

Further the court said that since there are a bunch of Muslim women petitioners who challenged nikah halala and polygamy, they should approach the jurisdictional police station for security, if they feared any threat to them.

Anti-triple talaq and nikah halala-activist Shabnam Rani was reportedly attacked with acid in UP's Bulandshahr on 13 September, while she was on her way to register a police complaint after she was allegedly assaulted at her in-law's house a day earlier. She was taken to a hospital and her condition was reported to be stable.

The reports stated that Shabnam's husband had earlier allegedly divorced her by the means of triple talaq and was forcing her to perform nikah halala with her brother-in-law in order to remarry her.

Shabnam Rani came into the spotlight when she moved a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the practice of nikah halala. She had also accused her husband of divorcing her via triple talaq, and alleged that he forced her to marry his brother.

Nikah halala is a controversial custom that demands a divorced Muslim woman to marry another man and consummate the marriage in order to remarry her previous husband.

The Supreme Court had earlier issued a notice to the Union of India and the UP government following the attack.