Despite the Wakf board’s claims that qazis conducting illegal marriages of City girls with Arabs have been barred and ostracised, the Kalapathar police on Tuesday arrested a ‘much married’ Arab ‘Sheikh’ from UAE. The latter was trying to marry a girl with the help of the qazi who had been arrested earlier for officiating other such unions.
Abdul Suleman Mohd Alhaan Toubi Al Naqvi alias Abdullah, 49, was picked up from a qazi’s lodge at Tallabkaata based on a two-year-old complaint by a City girl whom he had married in 2009. Kalapathar Inspector SK Khaja Moinuddin said Abdulla had married one Parveen Begum with the help of the qazi Ali Abid Rafai of Tallabkaata. The Sheikh stayed with the girl in the lodge for two weeks and then disappeared promising the parents he would arrange for a visa for her soon. However, the family never heard from him again.
ACP Charminar M Rammohan Rao said this man, who has one or more wives in his native place, often came to the City with the help of the qazi and repeats the performance. It is not yet clear how many times he has visited the City. Around 10 days ago he came and stayed at the same lodge and was plotting with Rafai for another marriage when someone, getting a wind of the Sheikh’s movement, tipped off Parveen’s parents who in turn alerted the police. The Sheikh was arrested under section 498-a, 420 and 4 and 5 DPP Act. However, the police are unable to explain why the qazi was not held for his involvement. It’s said that the qazi fled the scene after the raid.
How it happens
Islamic leaders and police say that this trend of elderly Arabs marrying minor girls is the result of pimps — men and women — aiming for big money. The dastardly act of marrying minors would be impossible without the help of a qazi and his understudies. It is said that the gangs wait at the International airport and try to spot Arab visitors and tempt them with accommodation and ‘wives’, by which they mean a contract marriage. After the money changes hands and ‘marriage’ with a poor girl conducted, the qazi takes in advance a signature from the girl and parents on a blank paper which the qazi fills up later as ‘talaqnaama.’ This means the marriage and talaaq papers are ready at the same time which the unsuspecting family is unaware of. The qazi’s remuneration depends on the economic status of the Sheikh. A rich Sheikh if happy with the girl will spend several lakhs, police said. The Wakf board had claimed that it was trying to generate awareness about the dark deeds and caution poor parents from getting into it.
–Source: PN