Followed by a directive from the Supreme Court on Monday, the Bulandshahr police will provide security to the nikah halala petitioner who recently faced an acid attack. The woman, Shabnam Rani, has been fighting against the practice of nikah halala and triple talaq.

Hearing her appeal, the Supreme Court has asked the Bulandshahr police to ensure her safety in every possible manner.

The Supreme Court is hearing a  case against nikah-halala and polygamy among Muslims, and she is one of the petitioners.

On Monday, the court said Shabnam’s safety and security would be the responsibility of the Bulandshahr senior superintendent of police.

When contacted, Bulandshahr SSP K B Singh said there would be complete compliance of the court orders as soon as he received it.

On September 13, the victim woman was attacked by her husband’s younger brother with acid when she was going to lodge her complaint with the SSP office  after she was thrashed by her husband and in-laws on September 12.

The woman, who is from Delhi, was married to a man in Jolligarh village that comes under the Augauta police station area of Bulandshahr district. Her husband gave her triple talaq some time ago but later wanted her back. He was allegedly forcing her for a nikah halala with his brother so that he could marry her again. The woman was objecting to this.

She had been living with her in-laws despite the talaq.

After the acid attack, the woman was rushed to hospital and a complaint was lodged with the police, after which her brother-in-law was arrested.

The victim, who is undergoing treatment for the burns, moved the Supreme Court pleading for security saying she had threat to life. On her appeal, the apex court asked the district police to provide her with security.

The Supreme Court had in August 2017 banned triple talaq, a controversial practice of instant divorce among Muslims, as arbitrary and unconstitutional.

It has been hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the practice of polygamy, nikah halala, nikah mutah (temporary marriage among Shias) and nikah misyar (short-term marriage among Sunnis) which violate Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution.

Under ‘nikah halala’, if a Muslim couple wants to be together after the husband gives triple talaq to the wife, the latter has to marry another person and consummate the marriage and then divorce the second husband to be able to return to the first husband.