Petitioners who have challenged polygamy and nikah halala in the Supreme Court and are now apprehensive of reprisals can seek police protection, the Supreme Court ordered on Monday.
They can apply for protection to the police chiefs of their districts.
The petitioners are Muslim women who want polygamy and nikah halala to be abolished. They argue that these practices violate their basic right of life and dignity guaranteed by the Constitution in a democracy. In March this year, the Supreme Court had referred their petitions to a Constitution Bench.
One of the petitioners, Rani Sabnam, had acid thrown at her face, allegedly by her brother-in-law recently in Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh, last week. Another petitioner, Sameena Begum alleged she is under threat.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra gave the Uttar Pradesh government two weeks’ time to pay Ms. Rani, who is still under medical care, a compensation under the acid attack compensation scheme. The court directed the District Chief Medical Officer to provide Ms. Rani “adequate treatment”. “There cannot be any delay,” the Supreme Court directed the State government.
The court recorded the submissions made by Additional Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh, Aishwarya Bhati, that “certain security” has been provided to Ms. Rani. But the court said Ms. Rani could apply for more police security, if required.
Similarly, the court ordered that medical treatment should be provided to any other petitioner who has been attacked or suffered injuries. They need to only apply to the Chief District Medical Officer concerned.
While polygamy allows a Muslim man to have four wives, nikah halala deals with the process in which a Muslim woman, who wants to remarry her husband after divorce, has to first marry another person and get a divorce from him after the consummation.