A 22-year-old woman was allegedly beaten to death by her husband and her in-laws, and her body set afire in Uttar Pradesh’s Shravasti district, because she refused to accept the talaq given to her via phone, the victim’s family alleged, according to the police.
According to the Superintendent of Police Ashish Srivastava, the incident was reported on Friday, 16 August, from Gadra village near the India-Nepal border, PTI reported.
The victim's father has claimed that she was given triple talaq over the phone on 6 August by her husband Nafees.
Saeeda and Nafees, residents of the same village, got married about six years ago. Nafees works in Mumbai and the couple has two children.
Saeeda's father, Ramzan, said that she was beaten often by her husband and her in-laws.
Police Urge Victim to Compromise
Saeeda had gone to the police station to lodge a complaint the same day and was allegedly sent back and asked to wait for her husband to return from Mumbai, NDTV reported.
Further, the victim’s father alleged that the police tried to get the couple to compromise instead of taking the legal route.
Ramzan said Nafees had returned home for Eid-al-Adha on Friday and both sides had agreed to a compromise.
His family members and he then killed Saeeda and burnt her body, Ramzan said, adding that it was done in the presence of his six-year-old granddaughter, PTI reported.
They allegedly poured kerosene on her body to set it on fire.
SP Srivastava said a case of dowry death has been registered against eight persons on the basis of the complaint by Saeeda's family.
"Saeeda's husband and her father-in-law have been arrested," he said, adding that action against others will be taken based on the investigation.
"So far no talaq angle has emerged in the case and if it emerges, action will be taken accordingly," the SP said.
The practice of triple talaq has been criminalised by a law passed by the Parliament last month.
(With inpust from PTI and NDTV)
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