NEW DELHI: Union Cabinet today cleared the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, to make the practice of “instant” Triple Talaq an offence.

According to the draft bill sent out to states earlier this month, it was proposed that Triple talaq be made a cognisable and non-bailable offence that would attract a jail term of three years.

The draft law was prepared in the backdrop of the August 22 verdict of the Supreme Court striking down the practice of “instant” triple talaq as illegal. The draft law was sent to states for their views on December 1and they were asked to reply by December 10. The government’s justification for the law stems from the fact that there have been reports of several divorces by way of talaq-e-bidat despite the SC verdict.
Assam, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have written back to say that they support the draft legislation.
The draft law was prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by home minister Rajnath Singh. The other members include external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, finance minister Arun Jaitley, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and his junior in the ministry P P Chaudhary.
According to the proposed law, a victim of instant divorce can seek the custody of her minor children as well as maintenance from her husband by approaching a magistrate after registering a complaint with police. Under the law, triple talaq in any form — spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS or WhatsApp — would be banned.
Source : timesofindia