Married at 15, divorced by Triple Talaq at 16, gang-raped under Halala — UP woman’s horror story will shock you

The case, which surfaced in Amroha district, has renewed scrutiny of the controversial practice of halala.

According to a First Information Report (FIR) registered on December 9, 2025, the woman alleged that after being divorced through instant triple talaq, she was pressured by her husband, her brother-in-law and local clerics to undergo halala in order to return to her marital home.

In her complaint, she detailed an ordeal marked by threats, intimidation and coercion. She alleged that she was “gang-raped under the false pretence of halala,” The Times of India reported.

Police have invoked Sections 3 and 4 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, which criminalise instant triple talaq. In addition, multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to rape, grievous hurt, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy have been added, according to the report.

Initially, the accused named in the case included the victim’s husband, his cousin and a hakim (traditional healer). Subsequently, more individuals have been added to the list of accused.

Amroha police told The Times of India that the victim's husband has been arrested.

“The FIR has been registered on the basis of a written complaint. Further action will depend on corroboration and evidence,” Station House Officer Vikas Sahrawat said. Police are searching for the remaining accused, he added.

Based on the woman’s claim that she was married at the age of 15, police have also invoked multiple provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, significantly expanding the scope of the investigation.

The victim alleged that she was forcibly married off in 2015 when she was 15 years old. She claimed she was subjected to triple talaq in 2016 and again in 2021, followed by three coerced reconciliation attempts through halala.

“I felt like I was being handed over every time. I was too ashamed to come out with what had happened to me. I didn’t want my daughter to grow up reading about it,” the woman, identified as Zubaida, told The Times of India.

What is Halala?

Halala is a practice in which a divorced woman temporarily marries another man—or, in certain cases, engages in a one-time arranged sexual union—so that she can lawfully remarry her former husband under religious guidelines.