Imran (name changed) assured a Mehr (gift given by husband to the wife at the time of a wedding) of Rs 50,000, got two witnesses and the marriage was done. There was neither a Qazi nor a nikah nama (a formal marriage contract as per Islamic tradition).
Three months later, the woman, Rabia (name changed) was abandoned. She is now back to her daily wage worker parents’ home, hiding from the man she thought she would spend her life with.
Though beaten and bruised, she has no locus standi to drag Imran to the police or court.
“Without a nikah nama, there is no official proof of marriage. How can I take any action against him? My parents are too poor. They married me off, knowing this was illegal, only because they thought they’d have one less mouth to feed. Now, if he doesn’t give me any money for sustenance what will I or my family do?” Rabia told TOI.
Marriage without documents have became a menace alive and thriving in the alleys of Hyderabad’s Old City for years now . It has pushed a number of poor Muslim women into a state of absolute helplessness. Locally referred to as ‘Khutbah ki shaadi’ (Khutbah is one of the religious sermons recited during an official nikah), these illegal weddings have become frequent in recent times, TOI reported citing social activists. Most of the instances are similar. The woman is past her “prime”, taken in by the husband for a few months and then abruptly dumped, usually for another woman. Unfortunately, none of the victims have legal documents to prove their nikah.
TOI investigated this issue and found that there are marriage bureaus operating in Hyderabad, clandestinely arranging such illegal marriages , for a fat commission.
(With TOI inputs)
