Talaq, Talaq, Talaq....on WhatsApp

WhatsApp is indeed one of the most famous and highly preferred modes of communication. But can someone give a divorce through Whatsapp? Following a family dispute a New York based Indian, Usman Quraishi typed a message “talaq” three times on Whatsapp and divorced his wife Mahreen in Hyderabad. However, Mahreen has said that she has not received any such message and that she has been continuously harassed by her in laws to leave the house. She lodged a complaint with the police that the in-laws are using criminal force to make her leave the house. Usman Qureshi, a senior analyst at Seven Heaven Medical Agency married Mahreen Noor in 2015. Her sister-in-law, Heena Fatima, who is married to Usman’s elder brother, Syed Fayazuddin, went through a divorce in a similar manner six months ago.

My husband put 'Talaq Talaq Talaq' as his WhatsApp display picture & messaged same saying everything is finished: Mehreen Noor #Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/1jxqp5NhR1

— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2017

Meanwhile, Moghalpura police inspector R Devendar said that they have registered a case under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and arrested Hafeez and Alia (In-laws) and remanded them to judicial custody. The brothers have also been named as accused in the first information report.

Several women have filed a petition before the Supreme Court regarding such similar cases seeking the quashing of the triple talaq practice. In November last year, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) decided to form a women’s wing to discuss the issues of talaq, among several others. AIMPLB passed a resolution in favour of triple talaq. The resolution passed at the AIMPLB’s three-day convention stated that the government was infringing into the personal laws of Muslims.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan had also pitched for abolishing the triple talaq practice instead of merely debating on it. They state clearly their stand is that the triple talaq debate is being wrongly confused with the Uniform Code issue and that the two are separate issues altogether. The Supreme Court has now directed all parties to file their submissions and detailed hearing on the same is expected from May 11 onwards.