Patna court gives man two-year jail term in first triple talaq sentence

A court in Patna has sentenced a man to two years' rigorous imprisonment for pronouncing instant triple talaq on his wife, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajiv Ranjan Sahay on Thursday convicted Naushad Ahmed under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, and sections 323 and 341 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with voluntarily causing hurt and wrongful restraint.

The court also fined Ahmed Rs 6,500. He will face an additional one month and 22 days in prison if he fails to pay the fine. However, the court acquitted him of the charge of attempting to throw acid on his wife.

According to an FIR filed at Phulwari Sharif police station in September 2022, Ahmed, a resident of Simri village, pronounced triple talaq on his wife on September 5 that year. The couple had been married for nearly 21 years and had three children.

The complainant alleged that



Ahmed assaulted her and their children and attempted to throw acid on her. The police filed a chargesheet in the case on July 31, 2023.

Ahmed's lawyer, Shekhar Kumar, told Press Trust of India on Saturday that the prosecution had failed to prove the acid attack allegation. He also questioned the conviction on the other charges and said his client, who is currently out on bail, would challenge the verdict in the high court.

Kumar said the defence was awaiting a copy of the court order. He added that this was the first time a sentence had been pronounced in a triple talaq case in Patna district.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, declares instant triple talaq void and illegal. It provides for imprisonment of up to three years and a fine for the husband.

The Lok Sabha passed the bill on July 25, 2019, and the Rajya Sabha approved it on July 30. The law came into force retrospectively from September 19, 2018.