Our Correspondent / New Delhi
Union cabinet today approved an ordinance making instant triple talaq a punishable offence with a three-year jail term. Speaking to media persons, Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, under the Ordinance, the crime will be recognised only when the woman herself or her blood relative files a complaint against the husband.
He however said that the case may be dropped if the duo reaches a compromise, but only if the wife approaches the magistrate.
Mr Prasad also said the magistrate can grant the accused bail, on reasonable grounds, but only after hearing the wife. The wife will be given custody of the child and is entitled to maintenance, decided by the magistrate, for herself and her children.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said there was a compelling necessity and an overpowering urgency to approve the Ordinance. He reiterated the issue of triple talaq has nothing to do with faith, mode of worship or religion, it is a pure issue of gender justice, gender dignity and gender equality.
Mr Prasad said that triple talaq curse was not allowed to be ended by a Parliamentary law because of ambiguity and vacillation of the Congress party for pure vote bank politics.