In Maharashtra’s Thane district, a 31-year-old man has been booked for allegedly giving his wife an instant divorce, also known as ‘triple talaq’, which has been banned since 2019. The man, a resident of the Mumbra area, reportedly called his wife’s father on Tuesday and informed him that he was annulling the marriage by pronouncing ‘triple talaq’, a practice that was criminalized under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019.

The accused cited his wife’s decision to go for a walk alone as the reason for taking such a drastic step. According to the police, the wife, aged 25, later filed a complaint against her husband, leading to the registration of an FIR against him on Wednesday. The charges against the man include criminal intimidation under Section 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and violations of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, which specifically criminalizes the practice of instant divorce and seeks to protect the rights of Muslim women in matrimonial matters.

Triple talaq, or the practice of a Muslim man unilaterally pronouncing “talaq” (divorce) three times in one sitting, was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2017. In 2019, the government passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, making the practice a criminal offense punishable with imprisonment. This incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing legal battles surrounding the protection of women’s rights within religious personal laws. Police are now investigating the case further based on the woman’s complaint, and the accused man faces legal consequences for his actions.