Acidic Islam Attacks

Acid was thrown on petitioner in nikah halala and triple talaq case Shabnam Rani by her former brother-in-law Mujahid and an accomplice Hamid Ali who is said to be a former village pradhan. The incident took place during mid-day near Deputy Ganj police station in downtown Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh on September 13. Shabnam is reported to be in serious condition. Rushed to the district hospital, she was immediately referred to the Medical College Meerut. The police arrested both the assailants in a couple of hours after the incident.

Shabnam Rani was divorced by her husband a few months back. Later her husband wanted to re-marry her. But now the custom of halala came in the way. The husband wanted Shabnam to do nikah halala with his father, which she refused point blank. She, instead, went all the way to the Supreme Court with her complaint against this anti-woman primitive practice. Her claim has been listed for hearing along with other petitions against nikah halala filed by many Muslim women victims of triple talaq. According to Kadeem Alam, convenor of Muslim Rashtriy Manch, Shabnam was under the patronage of Dr Shameena, an advocate and a rights activist of New Delhi. He was helping her in her fight against injustice.

According to the doctors of Bulandshahr district hospital, Shabnam was accompanied by her son, and he too has got injured in the acid attack. Although the condition of both is not critical, she, as a measure of abundant precaution, has been sent to Meerut Medical College.

In a recent development, the Supreme Court (SC) on September 17 ordered security for Shabnam Rani seeking protection after facing an acid attack. The SC asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to ensure Rani’s security and ordered that she may approach the police to escort her if she is travelling outside the State.