More men question Sharia councils’ conjugal trespass

HYDERABAD: Two days after a TOI report on a city techie challenging the authority of a sharia council in Hyderabad High Court to dissolve his marriage, other men too have approached police, accusing selfstyled councils of intervening in their conjugal disputes.

Earlier,

Abdul Sami Mohammad

, resident of

Tolichowki

, had moved court challenging the authority of a sharia council,

Sada-e-Haq

, Sharaee Council, to deal with matrimonial issues. His marriage was nullified on October 9, 2017, by the council.

After TOI’s report, at least four other men approached Hyderabad police to vent their anger on how sharia council members were harassing them about matrimonial disputes.

“People who have been approaching us since Saturday claim that a self-styled sharia council is putting pressure on them at the behest of their estranged wives to end our marriages. As of now, no case has been registered. The four in question approached us based on news reports on with a pending case in high court which involves Sada-e-Haq, Sharaee Council,’’ assistant commissioner of police (

Asif Nagar

) Ashok Chakravarthy told TOI.

In his reply to the government pleader in Sami’s case, the ACP had said, Sada-e-Haq was not a statutory body to resolve matrimonial disputes. “Legal dissolution of marriage is done by a competent family court. A Muslim wife is entitled to divorce in accordance with provisions of Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939. Dissolution of Sami’s marriage is invalid.’’ In its defence, Sada-e-Haq said it has the authority to interfere in marital disputes and gave a written claim marital disputes can be solved on three basic principles — Verses 59, 60, 61 and 65 in

Surah Nisa

of the Quran.