After Bareilly, police in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh have also registered a rape case against seven persons, including husband, on a complaint of a nikah halala victim.

The victim was married to a man in Swaar area in Rampur district about five years ago. Her husband was running a biryani shop in Uttarakhand. They both have two children. About seven months ago, her husband packed her off to her parents' home and pronounced instant triple talaq a few days later.

The victim and her parents took up the issue with the village panchayat which called her husband and family members. After hearing both the parties, the panchayat ordered for nikah-halala for the woman to remarry her husband after passing the iddat period.

Her husband and his family members got her married to a man in the area and assured to remarry her with him after halala, instant triple talaq from new husband and period of iddat. "I went through all the ordeal with the hope to live with my earlier husband again but when the iddat period was over he refused to marry me again since he had already married another woman," the victim told the police.

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In her complaint to the police, the woman alleged that her husband, his brother and five of their relatives had raped her repeatedly during nikah halala.

Dr Vipin Tada, the Superintendent of Police Rampur, said that a rape case has been lodged against seven persons, including her husband. "The woman was sent for the medical examination and investigations were on to look into the woman's charges," the SP said.

Earlier, Ayesha, another woman from Swaar area met a similar fate when her husband too refused to marry her again after she went through the ordeal of nikah-halala. The police had, however, lodged no case on her complaint.

Bareilly Police was the first in the country to lodge a rape case on the complaint of Shahbina, a nikah-halala victim, against her husband, father-in-law, three brothers a few days ago. Her plight was highlighted by Aala Hazrat Helping Society Founder Nida Khan, who is spearheading a campaign to get justice to triple talaq and nikah-halal victims.

Nida Khan had hogged national headlines when a fatwa was issued against her by Imam of Bareilly Jama Masjid Khurshid Alam expelling her from Islam. Another Muslim organisation had issued her warning to leave the country.