New Delhi: The Triple Talaq Bill will be tabled in Rajya Sabha on Friday, a day after the Union Cabinet approved inclusion of a provision of granting bail to men found guilty of giving instant triple talaq to their wives.
Today is the last day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and the government could introduce amendments in Rajya Sabha. If the bill is cleared by the upper house, it will have to go back to Lok Sabha for approval of the amendments.
“Cabinet approves amendment in Triple Talaq Bill. Although the offence continues to remain non-bailable but magistrate can give bail,” a tweet posted by news agency ANI read on Thursday.
Briefing the media in connection with the matter, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told that the Union Cabinet has approved three amendments to the ‘Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill’ which has been cleared by Lok Sabha and pending approval of Rajya Sabha.
“Cabinet has approved amendments in the law relating to triple talaq. We’ve proposed 3 changes. If any husband gives triple talaq instantaneously and breaks marriage then FIR shall only become cognizable when it is filed by victim or blood relation or relation by marriage.” He added, “It has been made compoundable if the wife & the husband desire to settle their differences then the magistrate can compound the offence on appropriate terms & conditions. A magistrate can grant bail after hearing the wife,” he said.
The ‘Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill’ was cleared by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha where the government lacks numbers. Provision of bail was one of the demands of the opposition parties.
Under the amendments cleared on Thursday, the magistrate will have powers to grant bail, the sources said.
The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or ‘talaq-e-biddat’ and it would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking “subsistence allowance” for herself and minor children.
A woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.
