Udupi: A woman from Udupi has been left in a lurch after her husband reportedly took away two of their children along with him to Abu Dhabi, abandoning her and their infant.
While the victim Rishana Nilofer has been shedding tears, seeking only the return of her children, social activist Dr Ravindra Shanbhag has taken up the cause.
Addressing the media, Shanbhaug said that the mother, Rishana Nilofer, has been struggling for the past two months and is in deep depression as a result of her ordeal. “Her husband, Shanib, who was employed in the Gulf, came to Mangaluru on September 8, during the delivery of their third child. The child was born on September 10. On the evening of September 18, the husband took the first two children out under the pretext of buying them ice cream, and instead, took them to Abu Dhabi by a night flight. It was only after two days that Rishana got to know of about the reality when her husband sent updates through WhatsApp. Thereafter there was no communication from him,” he said.
Dr Shanbhag has urged the Indian Embassy to intervene and bring the children back as there is a possibility of danger to the mother’s life.
He also informed that Rishana had approached the Human Rights Protection Foundation (HRPF) with her newborn girl child on October 10, to narrate what had happened. “We consoled and counselled her as she was panic-stricken and on the verge of depression. We advised her to approach the Jamaat and resolve the dispute peacefully. We also advised her to register a complaint at the police station,” he said, adding that even after two months, the elders of the community weren’t able to resolve the issue.
A committee of advocates from the HRPF has submitted a detailed report after analyzing the entire case. As per the Muslim Sunni sect, a girl child shall be in the custody of the mother till she attains puberty and a boy child till he attains the age of 7.
For the last two months, no important member of the community nor the social organisations have succeeded in resolving this problem. The police have not taken any action in this regard. Currently, there is no communication from Rishana’s husband and his family members. To proceed legally, the HRPF has already contacted advocates, Shanbhaug said.
He also informed that the HRPF has submitted a detailed report in this regard to the Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and that the organisation is committed to extending its wholehearted support to Rishana in her struggle for justice.
As of now, many Muslim social organisations have extended their moral support to Rishana. Meanwhile, the Samman Counselling Centre has contacted people in Abu Dhabi, who have promised to resolve this dispute amicably.
Background
Rishana is the daughter of Siddhiabba, a renowned businessman. She married Shanib eight years ago. It was an arranged marriage and as is the custom, 130 pawans of gold and a flat in Mangaluru was handed over to Shanib’s family on demand. The marriage was solemnized with the consent of both families in the presence of the seniors of the Jamaath.
It is alleged that Rishana was subjected to ill-treatment by her husband and mother-in-law. She was always taunted by them on the grounds that she was not well-qualified. Her basic needs including clothing were looked after by her own parents as she was allegedly treated like a slave by her husband and mother-in-law.
