Supreme Court of India reserves verdict on triple talaq

NEW DELHI (INDIA): The Supreme Court of India (SCI) reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging constitutional validity of the practice of triple talaq among Muslims.nnA five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar heard the issue for six days during which various parties including the Centre, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board and various others made the submissions.nnThe bench, also comprising Justices Kurian Joseph, R F Nariman, U U Lalit and Abdul Nazeer, had begun the hearing on May 11.nnThe members of the bench are from different religious communities including Sikh, Christian, Parsi, Hindu and Muslim.nnThe bench had made it clear that it would examine whether the practice of triple talaq among Muslims is fundamental to their religion and had also said for the time being it will not deliberate upon the issue of polygamy and ‘nikah halala’.nnIt had also said that the issue of polygamy and ‘nikah halala’ would be kept pending and will be dealt with later.nnNikah Halala is a practice intended to curb the incidence of divorce under which a man cannot remarry his former wife without her going through the process of marrying someone else, consummating it, getting divorced, observing the separation period called ‘Iddat’ and then returning to him.nnThe apex court had on its own taken cognisance of the question whether Muslim women faced gender discrimination in the event of divorce or due to other marriages of their husbands.nnThe hearing assumed significance as the apex court has heard the matter during the summer vacation.nnSource: Press Trust of India