This is an archive article published on August 31, 2017
Triple talaq petitioner Ishrat Jehan claims her children have gone missing, lodges complaint, gets back her children
“My two children have gone missing. I have lodged a complaint with the police. I want my children back,” said Ishrat Jehan, speaking to the Indian Express over phone. She lodged the complaint with Golabari police station this afternoon.
Written by Ravik Bhattacharya
Kolkata | Updated: August 31, 2017 08:10 PM IST
3 min read
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Ishrat Jahan talks to her lawyer Nazia Elahi Khan in Kolkata on Friday. PTI file photo
Ishrat Jehan, one of the petitioners against Triple Talaq in the Supreme Court, on Thursday lodged a police complaint regarding her two children going missing from her home. She lodged a missing diary stating that her two children have gone missing. “My two children have gone missing. I have lodged a complaint with the police. I want my children back,” said Ishrat Jehan, speaking to the Indian Express over phone. She lodged the complaint with Golabari police station this afternoon. “We have received a missing diary and an investigation has been initiated,” said a senior police officer from Howrah.
According to sources, Ishrat could not find her two children at home this morning. She asked her in-laws, who said that her husband has taken them away. She tried to contact her husband but failed. Then she went to Golabari police station and lodged the complaint.
With in a few hours of lodging a police complaint, children were dropped at the police station. “My two children has gone missing. I have lodged a complaint with the police. Late in the evening police called me and I got back my children,” said Ishrat Jehan.
“After she contacted police and informed that her children were kidnapped. Police contacted their family and children were returned,” said D P Singh, Commissioner (Howrah).
“Just about a month back two of my children, elder girl Shayestha ( 13) and my son Zaid (7) came to me. But since morning they are missing. Earlier they had called and said they cannot live there since their stepmother ill treats them. I miss them and want them back,” said Ishrat.
Ishrat, a mother of four, had her children taken away to Bihar (at the house of her in-laws) after she was given talaq by her husband. Earlier this month, two of her children were sent to her, while two others Kehekasha(11) and Bushra (9) stayed in Bihar with their stepmother. Police sources stated that the children may have been taken away by Ishrat’s in-laws and they are being contacted.
Ishrat was among the few Muslim women who petitioned the Supreme Court against triple talaq. In April 2015, Md Murtaza Ansari, her husband who works in Dubai, called her up and gave her talaq.
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court recently ruled that the practice of instant triple talaq in the Muslim community is unconstitutional. The bench, headed by then Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, set aside the practice by a majority of 3:2.
Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting.
Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More