Woman accuses former husband of forcing halala, files complaint | Lucknow News
Kanpur: A woman in Kanpur has lodged a complaint accusing her former husband of forcing her into halala with his four friends and gangrape. She alleged that the accused spiked her soft drink and forced her to consume it before committing the gangrape in June last year. After she filed a police complaint in May this year, one of the accused married her but then began physically exploiting her. When she protested, he divorced her. The woman further alleged that when both parties approached a cleric, he forcibly pressured them to sign divorce papers and later urged her to undergo halala (a practice where a Muslim woman divorced by her husband must marry, consummate the marriage, and then be divorced before she can remarry her previous husband). The woman in her complaint said that her first marriage ended in divorce due to dowry harassment. She had a five-year-old daughter and later joined a factory in Kanpur which was owned by one of the accused. The accused promised to marry her and adopt her daughter. Trusting him, she entered into a live-in relationship with him, the woman said in her complaint lodged last week.On June 19, 2024, the accused man visited her house with his brother and two friends and brought cold drinks and biryani. She alleged that she fell unconscious after having the cold drink and woke up to find that they had gang-raped her. When she protested, they shaved off her head.After she filed a police complaint, the accused first threatened to kidnap and kill her daughter. When she did not budge, he asked her to marry him. On Jan 1, 2025, he married her before the city qazi in Azad Nagar, but his abusive behaviour continued. He often gave her drinks mixed with intoxicating pills and beat her. He also obtained her signatures on blank papers, claiming he would move her into his own house.On April 30, 2025, he transferred Rs 1.8 lakh into her bank account in four instalments. When prodded, he said, “Now, you are divorced. The mehr amount has been deposited in the account for maintenance allowance.” Claiming no legal divorce, the woman filed a second complaint at Babupurwa police station in May this year. When officers summoned the accused, he produced fake marriage papers.She added that on May 19 both went to a cleric who forcibly obtained her signature. The woman alleged that on June 11, the accused came to her house and told her that the cleric wanted to arrange her halala, but she refused. Left with no option, the woman filed a fresh complaint on Nov 5.Kanpur police commissioner Raghubir Lal has assured that action will be taken following a thorough investigation.“An investigation is underway. Further action will be taken on the basis of evidences,” said Babupurwa ACP Dileep Kumar Singh.
