Law panel says its report misconstrued

The Law Commission on Saturday clarified that the Muslim law on bigamy, or the state of bigamy among Indian Muslims, was “not at all” mentioned in its latest report submitted to the government.

The Law Commission on Saturday clarified that the Muslim law on bigamy, or the state of bigamy among Indian Muslims, was “not at all” mentioned in its latest report submitted to the government.

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Reacting to a report in an English daily giving the impression that the Commission was against polygamy among Muslims, Commission member Tahir Mahmood said a section of the media had misreported the panel’s report on “Preventing Bigamy via Conversion to Islam”.

“Married men whose personal law does not allow bigamy have been resorting to the unhealthy and immoral practice of converting to Islam for the sake of contracting a second bigamous marriage...” the panel had noted in its report.

Clarifying, Mahmood said: “Some recent cases highlighted in the media had brought to limelight the fact that the law… was being grossly violated. Taking cognisance of it, the commission simply recommended that the apex court ruling be incorporated in the Hindu Marriage Act 1955.”

Terming the apprehension being expressed by Muslim religious men and the Urdu media as “misplaced”, Mahmood said: “The Muslim law on bigamy, or the state of bigamy among the Muslims, was not at all the issue before the commission.”