Divorced Muslim women entitled for maintenance: SC

The Supreme Court has granted four weeks time to the Centre to file its reply on a batch of petitions on triple talaq and the plight of Muslim women. A bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice D Y Chandrachud gave time after additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta sought more time to respond. On September 2, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, AIMPLB told the Supreme Court that personal laws of a community cannot be re-written in the name of social reforms.

The AIMPLB opposed pleas on issues including alleged gender discrimination faced by Muslim women in divorce cases. The Board, in its counter affidavit filed in the apex court, had said the contentious issue relating to Muslim practices of polygamy, triple talaq and nikah halala are matters of legislative policy and cannot be interfered with.

It also said, practices provided by Muslim Personal Law on the issues of marriage, divorce and maintenance were based on holy scripture Al-Quran and courts cannot supplant its own interpretations over the text of scriptures.