The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on a writ petition seeking a ban on polygamy among Muslims and calling for legal reforms aimed at protecting the rights of Muslim women.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, advocate Shriya Maini, appearing for the petitioners, said the plea had been jointly filed by the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) along with a group of academicians and journalists.
"Today, the Court issued notice on our writ petition. While issuing the notice, the Court took note of our four categorical prayers," Maini said.
According to the petition, the first prayer seeks the complete abolition of polygamy among Muslims, arguing that the practice causes hardship to Muslim women.
The second seeks a declaration that polygamy is illegal under Section 82 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the Indian Penal Code.
The petitioners have also sought the creation of a dedicated fund to provide financial assistance and interim support to first and second wives affected by multiple marriages.
The fourth prayer calls for a statutory mechanism to register Muslim marriages and divorces, similar to the system already in place for Hindu marriages in India.
