Supreme Court continues to hear pleas on triple talaq from today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will commence hearing from Thursday on a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy practices among Muslims.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar will commence hearing on seven petitions, including five separate writ petitions filed by Muslim women challenging the practice of triple talaq prevalent in the community and terming it unconstitutional.

The hearing assumes significance as the apex court has decided to hear the case during the summer vacation and even suggested that it is likely to sit on Saturdays and Sundays to expeditiously decide the contentious and sensitive issues arising in the matter.

The top court will examine the issue to give an authoritative pronouncement on the constitutional and legal validity of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy practices among Muslims. The hearing holds importance as the Allahabad High Court in its verdict pronounced in the last week of April, had held the practice of triple talaq as unilateral and bad in law.

The High Court verdict had come while dismissing a petition filed by one Aaqil Jamil whose wife had filed a criminal complaint against him alleging that he had tortured her for dowry and when his demands were not met, he gave her triple talaq. The copy of High Court verdict was made available only yesterday.

The ministry of law and justice, in its affidavit, had referred to constitutional principles like gender equality, secularism, international covenants, religious practices and marital law prevalent in various Islamic countries to drive home the point that the practice of triple talaq and polygamy needed to be adjudicated upon afresh by the apex court.