UP rape victim to abide by Deoband fatwa

A woman, who was allegedly raped by her father-in-law in Charthawal town of Uttar Pradesh, said on Monday she is ready to abide by the fatwa (edict) issued by Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, which ruled that she could no longer live with her husband.

"Me and my husband are willing to abide by the fatwa if the Darul Uloom Muftis want us to," Imrana said.

Mufti Habibur Rehman of Darul Uloom Deoband said in a fatwa on Sunday that the Imrana's life with her husband Noor Ilahi has become untenable as per Islamic law after the alleged rape on June 3.

Reacting to the ruling, Imrana, who has been staying with her parents at Kukra village, on Sunday said she has full faith in the Shariyat.

Noor Ilahi also said he would take steps as per the fatwa.

The rape case made headlines as a local community panchayat passed a verdict that the woman should treat her husband as her son, triggering outrage among women activists.

The All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board also took strong exception to the Deoband fatwa on Sunday, claiming that it was not in the light of the Quran.

Meanwhile, a local court on Monday rejected the bail plea of the accused father-in-law Ali Mohammad.

Judicial Magistrate S K Jaiswal refused to grant bail to the accused, who was arrested on June 15 and produced before a local court next day, which remanded him to 14 days judicial custody.