India News
Triple talaq law challenged in court day after receiving President’s assent

A day after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the legislation that makes instant triple talaq a penal offence and it became “The Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019”, it was challenged in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court on Friday, Aug 2.
Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama (SKJU), that claims to be the biggest religious organisations of the Sunni Muslim scholars and clerics in Kerala, moved the Supreme Court while the one in the Delhi High Court was filed by an advocate Shahid Ali, reported NDTV. Both allege that “The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019” violates the fundamental rights of Muslim husbands.
They have claimed that the Act is violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution and is liable to be struck down.
“The Act has introduced penal legislation, specific to a class of persons based on religious identity. It is causative of grave public mischief, which, if unchecked, may lead to polarization and disharmony in society,” the plea filed in the top court said.
The petition in Supreme Court
The SKJU has submitted that the legislation is class specific to Muslims and the intent behind the Act is not abolition of triple talaq but “to punish Muslim husbands”.
“Section 4 imposes a maximum sentence of 3 years imprisonment when a Muslim husband pronounces Triple Talaq. The offence is cognizable and non-bailable as per Section 7,” the plea said.
The Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act of 2019 makes instant triple talaq a penal offence. It imposes a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment when a Muslim husband pronounces instant triple talaq. The offence is cognizable and non-bailable.
“If the motive was to protect a Muslim wife in an unhappy marriage, no reasonable person can believe that the means to ensure it is by putting an errant husband in jail for three years and create a non-bailable offence for merely saying ‘talaq, talaq, talaq’. Further, the offence is confined only to Muslim husbands.
“It is absurd that for an utterance which has no legal effect, whether spoken by Muslim, Hindu or Christian, it is only the Muslim husband who is penalised with a three-year sentence. Protection of wives cannot be achieved by incarceration of husbands…,” the organisation, represented by advocate Zulfiker Ali PS, contended.
It urged the court to stay the operation of the ordinance while questioning the haste with which the government promulgated it.
The petition contends that the Supreme Court has already declared the utterance of triple talaq “null and void”. The marriage continues despite the utterance of triple talaq. If triple talaq has thus no legal effect, why should the government go ahead and make it an offence now?
The petition argued that a truly welfare-oriented legislation would promote amicable resolution of matrimonial disputes, regardless of community.
The petition in the top court said there are statutorily prescribed procedures for divorce in other religions too and non-compliance of this procedure for divorce is not a punishable offence for members of other religions.
“There is no reasonableness or constitutional logic for making the procedural infirmity in effecting divorce a punishable offence for members of Muslim community alone and such legislation cannot withstand the test of Article 14,” it said.
It said that a welfare-oriented legislation would not purport to criminalise marital discord and moreover, particularise the criminalization only to one community.
“With respect, it is submitted that any such a legislation ought to shock the judicial conscience. The impugned Act is such an endeavour and ought to be struck down for violating Article 21,” it said.
Petition in Delhi High Court
The petition in the high court said that the new legislation criminalising the practice of ”triple talaq” among Muslims and making it a non-bailable offence punishable with three years of imprisonment, would shut down all room for compromise between the husband and wife.
It said that since triple talaq has been declared as void, the Act of its pronouncement cannot be construed to be a criminal offence or even as a simple wrong or a civil wrong.
The high court petition has alleged that the intentions of central government are “mala fide and ultra-vires” of the Constitution as well as the Supreme Court’s judgment, declaring instantaneous and irrevocable divorce pronounced by a Muslim husband as void and illegal.
It claimed that there could be misuse of criminalisation of ”triple talaq” as the Act does not provide for a mechanism to ascertain the truthfulness of the allegations of such pronouncement.
India News
Punjab Chief minister Bhagwant Maan announces construction of new modern jail in Ludhiana, no phones will be allowed inside, prisoners trials will undertake within complex itself
The central government will provide a funding of Rs 100 crore for this project.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced state’s first ever high security digital jail will be constructed in Gorasia village in Ludhiana.
The central government will provide a funding of Rs 100 crore for this project. The main feature of this jail would be, no telephone or mobile will be operational inside it, also the prisoners trials will be done inside the jail complex itself. The Courtroom trials will take place at the ground floor of the jail.
Hence, the prisoners will not have to be taken to the Court for trials. This will help in saving time and energy of the police in transporting the prisoner’s from the jail to the Court.
A modern jail office will be constructed in Mohali. It will be constructed in Sector 68 in an area of 50 acres of land. Mann made new appointment letters to the newly appointed Jail wardens near Ludhiana for hearing of cases of criminals in the jail complex, so that they should not be moved out of jail for this purpose.
The CM said all efforts are being made and the government is leaving no stone unturned in the modernisation of the police force. He said new reforms are being introduced to tackle cyber crime in Punjab. Mann said, high tech jammers and other equipment are being installed installed in jails to stop any usage of mobile phones and telephones from inside the prison.
He added, anti-drone technology is introduced in Punjab Police to check drone infiltration from across the border. He said, it is a matter of great pride that Punjab Police is considered the best police force in the country. He said great efforts are being made to transform the police stations. Further added, a number of infrastructural developments and resources are being added to the police department like weapons and vehicles.
Mann said 351 new posts will be created in the jail department. A special women’s jail will also be constructed in Punjab.
India News
Justice MN Venkatachaliah to launch India Legal App tomorrow
The India Legal App will be launched by former Chief Justice of India Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah, who is also the Chief Patron of India Legal magazine, in Bengaluru. Several legal luminaries of the country will attend the event online in a webinar.

The India Legal Research Foundation will on Saturday, June 10, launch the much-awaited multilingual India Legal App, a path-breaking legal helpline that allows every citizen of India to access high calibre legal help from the safety of her/his home at the touch of a button.
The India Legal App will be launched by former Chief Justice of India Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah, who is also the Chief Patron of India Legal magazine, in Bengaluru. Several legal luminaries of the country will attend the event online in a webinar.
Former Chief Justice of India Justice U.U. Lalit, Attorney General R. Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Senior Advocate and Balaji Foundation Chairperson Pradeep Rai, National Law University Delhi Vice Chancellor Prof (Dr) GS Bajpai, Former IIM Bangalore Dean Prof Trilochan Sastry, Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association President Manoj K. Mishra and India Legal Editor-in-Chief Inderjit Badhwar will take part in the webinar. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube on the India Legal and APN News accounts.
The India Legal App intends to change the way legal aid is made available to the people. The app gives ease of access, as a person can have a jargon-free discussion on complex matters with lawyers.
The complete assurance of privacy and easy payment methods is certain to make the legal experience of people very different from interminable hassles they may have heard about.
The app can be used in 6 Indian languages, including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and Punjabi.
The app is also useful in times of distress as a person sensing trouble or threat can contact a legal ‘friend’ till the time the police arrives.
Lawyers associated with the India Legal App assure to help people 24×7, ready to guide them through extremely tough situations, wherever they are in the country.
The India Legal App is an embodiment of trust and faith. Any individual can install this app on their mobile and directly communicate with a lawyer.
Slowly, this facility will extend to even those without mobile phones. They can avail of this service through their nearest common service centres, or Jan Suvidha Kendra/Setu/e-Seva Kendra/Pragya Kendra.
The service will be available at a reasonable cost, which can then also be paid at that service centre.
The India Legal App services include:
- 1. Free legal advice over the phone.
- 2. Payment of a specified amount for legal advice through audio and video calls.
- 3. Payment of a specified amount for document preparation.
- 4. Payment of annual membership fees to receive legal services.
Additionally, the India Legal App provides legal information and related videos to ensure users of the India Legal App are well-informed about legal matters.
India Legal is a respected politico-legal weekly magazine (both print and online) in the country, with complete professional journalistic and expert inputs. Its readers include lawyers, law firms and those related to the judiciary and justice system.
The India Legal Research Foundation (ILRF) is a non-profit organisation equipped with senior lawyers and devoted to bring justice to those who deserve it, but cannot afford it. ILRF provides free legal aid to the deserving and people in need.
India News
CM Eknath Shinde says Maharashtra govt will protect Sharad Pawar after NCP chief gets death threat on Twitter
Shinde said he has spoken to senior police officers and given instructions for investigation into the tweets. Shinde said Sharad Pawar’s safety will be fully taken care of by the state.

Maharahstra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday took serious note of the death threat issued to Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar earlier today by unknown persons.
Shinde said he has spoken to senior police officers and given instructions for investigation into the tweets. Shinde said Sharad Pawar’s safety will be fully taken care of by the state.
A Twitter user posted saying the NCP chief will meet the same fate as rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, who was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013.
In his reaction, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said threatening any leader or overstepping the bounds of civility while expressing oneself on social media will not be tolerated.
Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, the Baramati Member of Parliament, met Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and demanded immediate action. She submitted printouts of the death threat to the police. Earlier on Friday, Sule told media that Sharad Pawar has received threats through a website. Claiming such actions as “low-level politics”, Sule urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Maharashtra Home Minister to look into the matter.
Sharad Pawar is a critical leader for the Opposition formation in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The veteran leader has been a bridge for several regional parties in their interaction with former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.
Pawar had himself outed the challenge within the NCP posed by several people, including nephew Ajit Pawar, by threatening to resign as NCP president. Grassroots leaders of the NCP prevailed upon Pawar not to resign from the party leadership, thereby stalemating potential plans for the NCP to bail out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi and ally itself with the BJP.
Pawar will be attending the Opposition jamboree in Patna, Bihar on June 23 where senior opposition leaders from a range of parties will be attending. The meet which was initially slated for June 12 had to be called off since Rahul Gandhi was away on his US trip.
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