Supreme Court asks Center to respond to Muslim polygamy petition
The Supreme Court has asked the Center to reply to a petition challenging polygamy among Muslims.
Filed by activist Zakia Soman and others, the petition wants laws on marriage, like Section 82 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, to apply equally to everyone, without special exemptions.
The goal: end polygamy for all citizens and push for fairer treatment.
Plea seeks registration and financial rights
The plea calls for registering all Muslim marriages and divorces to stop secret remarriages, and demands immediate financial rights and housing for first wives and children.
A survey across seven states found that 88% of polygamous husbands didn't get their first wife's consent.
The petitioners argue that polygamy isn't essential in Islam, mostly affects women negatively, and say it's time India moved toward equal family laws, pointing to reforms already happening in states like Uttarakhand and Gujarat.