Allahabad High Court says Muslim man can marry multiple times if wives are treated equally
New Delhi: The Allahabad High Court ruled that a Muslim man can marry more than once if he respects all of his wives equally and follows the standards outlined in Islamic law. The court, however, emphasized that the opportunity for polygamy is frequently abused by men for selfish purposes.
while hearing a petition filed by a man called Furkan to invalidate the chargesheet, cognisance, and summons issued against him by a Moradabad court, Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deswal made the statement.
The case, which dates back to 2020, a woman filed a complaint alleging that Furkan had married her without disclosing that he was already married. She also accused him of rape. Based on her complaint, a case was registered at the Moradabad police station, and summons were issued to Furkan and two others.
Furkan’s counsel argued that the woman had acknowledged entering into a relationship with him before marriage and contended that the second marriage could not constitute an offence under Section 494 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with bigamy as muslim men are allowed to marry more than once.
The High Court referring to the Shariat Act, 1937, noted in its 18-page judgement, that under Muslim personal law, a man may marry up to four times, subject to the condition that he treats all wives equally. The court said Furkan’s second marriage was valid as both women were Muslim.
Justice Deswal also expressed support for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code, remarking that issues of marriage and divorce should be addressed in accordance with personal law until such a code is enacted. The matter has been listed for the next hearing on May 26.
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Woman, 2 sons found dead in Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.
Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.
Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.
A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.
"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.
Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.
Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.
Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.
"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.
Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.
