Patna: A woman in Bihar is seeking justice more than three decades after her husband divorced her because a worm fell into his breakfast. Rukaiya Khatoon, a resident of Kochadhaman in Kishanganj, was married 46 years ago and says her husband began harassing her within a year of their wedding.
After eight years of marriage, her husband married another woman. Seven years later, he allegedly divorced Rukaiya by uttering “talaq” three times in anger when he saw a worm in his food. Her son, Raqib Alam, who is an assistant professor at Jamia Millia Islamia University, said in a press conference that his father, Mohammad Arif, subjected his mother to severe physical and mental abuse, including pouring hot water on her body, demanding dowry, and forcing her through the inhumane practice of halala.
He also accused his father of selling Rukaiya’s property to build a house for his second wife and children. “My mother lived like a slave,” Raqib said, adding that his father’s violence traumatised him as a child. He has now petitioned the President, Prime Minister, National Human Rights Commission, and Women’s Commission to secure justice for his mother.
