UP woman, 22, killed by husband, in-laws for objecting to triple talaq

Lucknow: A young woman in Uttar Pradesh was burnt alive in front of her five-year-old daughter after she complained to the police that her husband has divorced her by uttering "talaq" thrice.

The 22-year-old woman was allegedly beaten to death by her husband and in-laws and the body set on fire here, police said on Monday, as her family claimed she was killed because she had refused to accept talaq given to her on phone.

According to Superintendent of Police Ashish Srivastava, the incident was reported on Friday from Gadra village near the India-Nepal border.

Saeeda and Nafees, both residents of the same village, married about six years ago. Nafees works in Mumbai and they have two children.

Saeeda's father Ramzan told reporters on Saturday that his daughter was often beaten up by her husband and in-laws.

On August 6, Nafees divorced Saeeda on phone, he said.

The practice of triple talaq has been criminalised by a law passed by Parliament last month.

The father said Nafees had returned home for Eid-al-Adha and this Friday, both sides agreed to a compromise and Nafees took Saeeda with him inside their home.

He and his family members then killed Saeeda and burnt her body, Ramzan said, adding this was done in presence of his six-year-old grand daughter.

They allegedly poured kerosene on the body to set it on fire.

Sayeeda's daughter Fatima told police: "On Friday noon, my father returned after offering namaaz and told mother to go away since he had given her talaq. Then they got into an argument.

"My grandfather Azizullah, grandmother Haseena, and aunts Gudiya and Nadira also were there. Father held my mother by her hair and thrashed her, my aunts Nadira and Gudiya poured kerosene and grandma and grandpa lit the matchstick."

Sayeeda's brother Rafique took the five-year-old to police where she narrated the whole incident.

A police team was dispatched and Sayeeda's body was sent for autopsy.

The First Information Report was filed on Saturday.

SP Srivastava said a case of dowry death has been registered against eight persons on the basis of the complaint of Saeeda's family.

"Saeeda's husband and her father-in-law have been arrested," he said, adding action against others will be taken based on investigation.

"An FIR has been registered against Nafees and his family members on charges of dowry harassment, murder, and dowry prohibition act. The allegations of the victim's father about triple talaq will be probed," Srivastava said.

"It will be probed why a case was not registered if the victim had approached police on August 6," he added.

Yogi under fire

Major opposition parties have launched a scathing attack on the Yogi Adityanath government for its failure to prevent crimes against women ever since The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, was enacted banning triple talaq.

"The Modi government brought in triple talaq law but the Yogi government is not bothered about ensuring its proper implementation.

"Women are being beaten and killed because of triple talaq and the police are remaining mute spectator," said Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav while referring to the killing of a 22-year-old woman in Shravasti.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Raj Babbar speaking to IANS on phone said that the murder of the young woman was an example of how the triple talaq law has been having a "disastrous impact" on women.

"When the woman went to complain to the police that her husband had given her triple talaq over phone, she was sent back and later burnt alive. Who is responsible for this?" he asked.