MEERUT: A

in

has asked a family of two brothers to pay Rs 20 lakh as “settlement amount” to two girls, both sisters, whom they wanted to divorce, a decree trashed by local police which has decided to go ahead with its probe against alleged instant triple talaq given by one of them.

The sisters Farzana, 22 and Shabana, 20 (names changed to protect identities) got married to brothers Rizwan and Mobeen two years ago.

But, Mobeen and his wife Shabana were not getting along. Then, on August 18, Rizwan assaulted his wife Farzana and pronounced triple talaq on her. The girl’s mother was also thrashed by the brothers when she intervened.

“Then Farzana lodged an FIR against Rizwan at local police station under the new triple talaq law,” a police officer said.

After this, the family of brothers took the matter to the local panchayat.

The panchayat announced that both the brothers divorce the sisters. It also fixed Rs 20 lakh cost (cost of marriages) to be paid by the boys’ family.

Speaking to TOI, the brother of girls said, “It is true. We got the FIR registered. But, later elders of our community brought us on the negotiation table. They tried to explain to us that legal matters will only jeopardise my sisters’ future. They are in their early 20s and can be resettled. In addition, we have to get them married within our community so we cannot go against our elders in Panchayat also and above all, the opposite party is willing to pay marriage expenses also. We are ready to withdraw the case but police is not willing to listen to us.”

However, police said that the order of the local panchayat has no validity and an FIR against triple talaq was already been probed.

Dinesh Shukla, circle officer (CO) Kotwali said, “Panchayat’s decision has no legal standing and we do not acknowledge their intervention in the matter. FIR was lodged on August 18 and investigations are on. We have to follow the rule book here.”