New Delhi: With the Centre taking an initiative to evolve a Uniform Civil Code, and has constituted a committee to look into the aspects of personal laws relating to marriage, divorce and custody prevalent in various religious minorities, including the Muslims, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to file the committee’s report before it.
A bench comprising Chief justice T.S. Thakur and Justice U.U. Lalit asked Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to submit the report within six weeks in the court.
The bench also asked the Ministry of Minority Affairs to file its response to the petition filed by Shayara Bano, challenging the constitutionality of Muslim practices of polygamy, triple talaq (talaq-e-bidat) and nikah halala.
The petitioner has also challenged the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, saying it fails to provide Indian Muslim women with protection from bigamy.
Meanwhile, the bench directed the apex court registry to make available within six weeks the copy of judicial records of a petition on the issue.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had sought response of the Centre on Bano’s plea challenging constitutionality of Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937. (ANI)