Husband gives triple talaq to wife on WhatsApp, booked

Mumbai: The Malwani police on Saturday booked a 23-year-old man for allegedly saying talaq (divorce) to his wife thrice on WhatsApp after his wife found out that he was having an affair.
According to the police, on December 27, 2023, the accused, Afnan Kayuum Patel, married Mantesha Patel, 21. Mantesha, in her statement to the police, said that after their wedding, for one week she allegedly experienced that her husband had been ignoring her and was chatting on his phone.
When Mantesha checked her husband’s phone in January, she found him chatting with another woman. On confronting Afnan, he told her that he was having an affair with someone and did not want to live with her. After this incident, Patel often fought with her and threatened to divorce her, as per the police.
On May 16, when Mantesha was at her parent’s house, Afnan sent her a WhatsApp message with the words ‘talaq talaq talaq’. In 2017, the Supreme Court declared the practice of Triple Talaq unconstitutional and a violation of the fundamental rights of a Muslim woman.
When Mantesha showed her parents the message, they called Afnan to talk to him. However, on Saturday, Afnan demanded to divorce her after going to her parent’s house and said talaq three times again after which Patel approached the Malwani police and registered a case under section 498 (a) harassment to a married woman and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The police said they are investigating the matter and recording the statements of the accused and his family before taking a call to arrest him.