Jahiruddin Mollah and Sakina Bibi: Ostracised. A Telegraph picture

A couple in Mahestala, on the southern fringes of the city, have lodged a police complaint alleging that they have been ostracised because they are living together after a talaq.

The couple sought police protection, saying they are being threatened by neighbours in Bagpara, Mahestala. The neighbours, however, denied the allegations.

Police said Jahiruddin Mollah, 24, a tailor, and Sakina Bibi were married in 2000. They have two sons and a daughter.

On August 21, 2004, Mollah, under the influence of liquor, uttered “talaq” several times after a tiff with his wife. The next day, he visited the imam of Ashuti Bagpara Jame Masjid, Maulana Mohammad Yusuf Mondal, and recounted the previous evening’s events.

The priest reportedly asked him to abide by the Muslim Personal Law and live separately. “Everyone living in society must follow laws,” the imam reportedly told Mollah. “If you want to live with your wife, she must first marry another man. If she gets a talaq from him, only then can you remarry her after a few months.”

However, there is a debate within the community over the legality of talaq uttered under the influence of alcohol.

Police said the neighbours were angry with the couple, as they didn’t pay heed to the imam’s words and went on to live under the same roof.

“The family was living under constant threat from the neighbours. Mollah and Sakina were, finally, forced to take shelter at a relative’s home for nearly two years. They returned to Bagpara a few months ago,” said an officer.

“How long can we live like this? They have asked the local grocer not to allow us to enter the shop. We have no alternative but to approach the police,” said Sakina.

Samsuddin Baig, local CPM leader, said the couple should have gone by the imam’s words. “They cannot live together after a talaq,” he said.

The superintendent of police (South 24-Parganas), S.N. Gupta, said the local police station has been asked to keep a watch on the situation and if needed, to provide protection to the family. “The man is not being allowed to work. We are trying to see if some arrangement can be made to help them out,” said Gupta.