55-year-old booked after he utters talaq thrice inside police station

MUMBAI : A 55-year-old Muslim priest was booked under sections 3 and 4 of the Muslim women (Protection of rights on divorce) Act after he uttered talaq three times inside the Trombay police station, violating a Supreme Court judgment, on Saturday, in an attempt to divorce his fifth wife.

According to the police, Kanil Shah, the 32-year-old complainant, had approached the police for registering a case of harassment against Maulana Umar Shaikh, who she said had cheated her by hiding his previous four marriages.

Umar followed Kanil to the

station where he stopped her and threatened her. He then uttered talaq three times, according to the police.

Kanil registered a complaint under sections 498 (A) 406, 323 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code

and the relevant sections of the Muslim women (protection of rights on divorce) act.

According to Kanil’s complaint, Umar had gone back on his promise to take care of Kanil and her two kids from her first marriage, and did not even allow her to meet her children, who were at her parents’ house. Kanil and Umar had got married in April 2017 and were living at Cheetah Camp in Trombay. Umar, who had two children of his own, had demanded ₹1 lakh from Kanil’s father as financial aid during Kanil’s pregnancy, along with taking her gold jewellery worth ₹1.20 lakh. Later, Kanil found out that Umar had divorced three of his previous wives and one had died from cancer.

“I felt cheated and decided to register an FIR as he had been torturing me mentally and physically. He did not even allow me to meet my kids,” said Kanil.