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President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to the Instant triple talaq bill passed by Parliament, turning it into a law which makes the practice of instant divorce among Muslims a punishable offence, a government notification said.
The gazette notification, published Wednesday, says the president has given assent to the bill passed by Parliament.
The Act will replace an ordinance promulgated on February 21 this year to the same effect.
The new law The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 makes talaq-e-biddat or any other similar form of talaq having the effect of instantaneous and irrevocable divorce pronounced by a Muslim husband void and illegal.
It makes it illegal to pronounce talaq three times in spoken, written or through SMS or WhatsApp or any other electronic chat in one sitting.
“Any pronouncement of talaq by a Muslim husband upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal,” the law says.
Any Muslim husband who pronounces the illegal form of talaq upon his wife shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine, it says.
The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha with 99 votes in favour and 84 against, as the ruling NDA, which lacks majority in the upper house, was helped by the absence of some members of the opposition Congress, SP and BSP as well as six members of Telangana Rashtra Samithi and two MPs of YSR-Congress.
