Triple talaq: UP panchayat fines man Rs 2 lakh

Striking a blow for gender equality in the triple talaq debate, a panchayat here has fined a man Rs 2 lakh for divorcing his wife by uttering 'talaq' thrice in one go and asked him to pay Rs 60,000 as mehr to his wife.

In its verdict delivered on Sunday, the Turk community panchayat, attended by members of 52 villages, at the Madarsa Khalil-ul-Uloom in Sambhal's Raisati area, also helped the bride's family get back dowry given to the groom.

The couple, a 45-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, had been married for barely 10 days. There was a fight, prompting the man to pronounce talaq thrice in a fit of rage and asking his wife to return to her parental village.

"The family of the bride then approached the Turk panchayat. The panchayat in its decision yesterday took strong cognizance of the utterance of triple talaq in a single go and unanimously slapped a fine of Rs 2 lakh on the groom who gave the money in cash immediately," Shahid Hussain, coordinator of the Turk community panchayat, said.