Indian Muslims Triple Talaq
A man holds a banner during a rally organised by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), in support of the Muslim personal Law against what they say is the central government's move to change it and impose a uniform civil code across the country Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters

A case has been registered against a non-resident Indian (NRI) man, who allegedly divorced his wife through an advertisement in a local Urdu newspaper.

Mohd Mustaquddin, who worked in Saudi Arabia, married the complainant in January 2015. The couple lived in the Middle Eastern country after their marriage.

More from IBTimes UK

In March 2017, they returned to their hometown, the south Indian city of Hyderabad, with their 10-month-old baby. Mustaquddin then left for Saudi Arabia, leaving his wife and baby in India.

According to the woman's complaint, her husband divorced her by publishing "talaq" (divorce) three times in a newspaper advertisement soon after returning. She also alleged that Mustaquddin used to harass her for dowry of 2m Indian rupees ($.03m, £.025m).

"She tried to contact Mustaquddin several times over phone but he did not take her calls, so she lodged the complaint," Assistant Commissioner of Police S Gangadhar said.

He added that a case has been filed against the man under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 498 (A) (husband or relative of husband subjecting woman to cruelty), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

"We are conducting probe and also verifying if a divorce announced through a newspaper is valid under the Sharia (Muslim law)," the police officer said.

Meanwhile, in another incident, an Indian man was held for cheating and harassment after he divorced his second wife through a postcard.

According to reports, Mohammed Haneef, who is from Hyderabad, sent a postcard to his wife a week after their wedding. The card said "talaq" (divorce) three times, which is enough to enact divorce for an Indian Muslim.

However, the police found that the marriage was not legal as the man had not declared an earlier divorce.

"Our investigation showed that the marriage procedure was not correct because he did not have the right papers. We are cancelling the bail given to Haneef first and we will arrest him for rape as per our legal advice," V Satyanarayana, deputy commissioner of police, told the BBC.

The practice of triple talaq in Muslims, which allows men to divorce his wife instantly by telling the Arabic word "talaq" (I divorce you) three times, is facing fierce opposition in India.

Women's groups and activists have been campaigning against the practice, saying it is unfair to women; while, India's apex court is in the process of deciding whether it is unconstitutional.

Several Islamic nations, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, have banned the process; however, India is still following the practice.

India Saudi Arabia Pakistan