Bhojpuri actress alleges husband of divorcing through 'talaqnama'; Centre likely to move Triple Talaq Bill in RS today

Alina Sheikh, an actress from the Bhojpuri film industry, has alleged that her husband divorced her through a ‘talaqnama’ sent on a stamp paper on Monday. She has been married to her husband Abdullah, who is also known as Madassir Beg, since 2016. In her complaint to the police, she has stated that she will not accept the ‘talaqnama’ sent by him. [caption id=“attachment_7077941” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Alina Sheikh speaking to ANI on Monday. ANI[/caption] Sheikh’s allegations come ahead of Tuesday’s Rajya Sabha session in Parliament where the contentious Triple Talaq Bill is likely to be taken up for consideration and passage. The bill criminalises instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks a jail term for the guilty. Speaking to ANI, Sheikh said, “One day, he (her husband) suddenly went out of the house and said that he will return by 8 in the evening. But he did not. I thought something might have happened to him. So I registered a missing complaint. Then I got to know that he was safe. Ten days later, on 17 July, he divorced me.” “I have complained against this in the ‘Mahila Thana’ and Chandan Nagar Police Station. When he (husband) came to the police station to dismiss the missing complaint, he told me that he had sent me one (divorce) and will send two more. So, that will make it three,” Sheikh claimed. Sheikh and Beg share a baby boy born two months ago. The actor also accused her in-laws of trying to assault her. “When I was six months pregnant, my brother-in-law had threatened to beat me. I had not complained because my husband stopped me from doing so,” she said. However, the police at Chandan Nagar, in Indore, refused to take action on her complaint prompting her to go to the Women’s Police Station to file her complaint. “Police has refused to register an FIR saying that they will conduct counselling sessions first. Counselling can be done only when my husband comes. If no counselling takes place for six months…will I be waiting till then?” she questioned. However, station house officer (SHO) of Women Police Station, Anil Dearwal said, “Counselling for both the sides will be conducted. The matter is being investigated.” Meanwhile, the government has listed the contentious triple talaq bill for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha by a voice vote amid a walkout by the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress DMK and others. The bill was passed by the 16th Lok Sabha but was not cleared by the Rajya Sabha. The ruling BJP has issued a whip to its MPs, asking them to ensure their presence in the House on Tuesday. The bill, which criminalises instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks jail term for the guilty, was the first draft legislation tabled by the Narendra Modi government in this first session after it took an oath of office for a second term in May this year. With inputs from ANI