New Delhi: As the Supreme Court begins a historic hearing on the constitutional validity of triple talaq, the Muslim practice of divorce, News18 brings you a lifelike sketch of the courtroom where the rights of Muslim women in India and the authority of the personal law board are being debated.
The Judges
The five-judge Constitution bench which will hear the case comprises four minority judges — Chief Justice JS Khehar (Sikh), Justice Kurian Joseph (Christian), Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman (Parsi), Justice Abdul Nazeer (Muslim) and Justice UU Lalit.
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The Petitioners
Muslim Women’s Quest for Equality: The group is carrying the plea to ban triple talaq and is representing the views of a large number of Muslim women.
Khuran Sunnath Society: Wants the faithful and right implementation of Quran.
Shayara Bano: She was given oral and unilateral triple talaq in October last year after 15 years of marriage. She went ahead and challenged the very provision of instant triple talaq, polygamy and ‘nikah halala’.
Aafreen Rehman: The 25-year-old woman from Jaipur received a letter from her husband through which he divorced her. They were married in 2014 and she was divorced in May 2016.
Gulshan Parveen: The 30-year-old woman from Rampur received a talaqnama on a Rs 10 stamp paper in 2016. A post-graduate in English Literature, she was married in 2013.
Ishrat Jahan: Jahan’s husband of 15 years called her up from Dubai and pronounced talaq thrice to divorce her. She was in West Bengal when she was divorced in 2016.
Atiya Sabri: The Muslim woman from Amroha wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath when her husband divorced her via speed post.
The Respondents
All India Muslim Personal Law Board
Jamiat Ulma Hind
Union of India
Amicus Curiae Salman Khurshid
Key Lawyers for the Petitioners
Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi
Advocate Balaji Srinivasan
Advocate Mukesh Jain
Key Lawyers for the Respondents
Advocate Mridula Ray Bharadwaj
Advocate Ejaz Maqbool
Advocate Wajeeh Shafiq