Second marriage cannot be registered without informing first wife, says Kerala HC
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Kochi: The Kerala High Court has held that a Muslim man cannot register his second marriage, without informing his first wife and providing her an opportunity to express her objections under the Kerala Registration of Marriages (Common) Rules, 2008.
Justice P V Kunhikrishnan observed that while Muslim personal law permits a man to have more than one wife, this provision cannot override constitutional principles of equality and fairness. The court also noted, “Marriage registration is a legal process. Basic fairness requires that the first wife, whose marriage is still valid, must be informed before registering the second marriage."
The judge further stated that if the first wife objects to the registration, alleging that the second marriage is invalid, the marriage registrar must halt the process and refer the matter to a civil court to determine its legality as per personal law.
The court also noted, “Men are not superior to women. Gender equality is not merely a women’s issue, but a human issue.” Justice Kunhikrishnan also pointed out that the Quran stresses justice, fairness and transparency in marital relationships.
The court also clarified that there is no requirement to notify the first wife, if the first marriage has already ended through talaq. The ruling was delivered while dismissing a petition filed by a Muslim man and his second wife challenging the registrar’s refusal to register their marriage.
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Class 12 student dies after being attacked by juniors
Kumbakonam (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): A Class 12 student of a government school near here has succumbed to his injuries early Sunday morning after he was allegedly attacked by a group of Class 11 students, police said.
Fourteen class 11 students of Government Arignar Anna Model Higher Secondary School in Patteeswaram allegedly attacked their senior student on December 4, following a clash between their respective classes, they added.
The accused students hit the boy on the head with a wooden stick, leaving him seriously injured, police said.
The boy’s parents rushed to the school on being informed and admitted him to the Government Hospital in Kumbakonam. He was later shifted to a private hospital in Thanjavur for further treatment, police said. He had to be operated on to remove the blood clot in his brain.
On Sunday, around 2.30 am, he succumbed to his injuries, police confirmed. The 14 accused have been arrested and lodged in a juvenile home.
Patteeswaram Police said they had initially registered an attempt to murder case. "After post-mortem, we’ll alter it into a murder case," an official said.
