HYDERABAD: Feeling the need to curb the incidents of illegal and fake marriages of poor Muslim girls to old Arab Sheikhs and alleged misuse of their position by Qazis in this regard, the High Court has directed the central, AP and Telangana governments and the Wakf Boards to state their stance on the matter.
Justice S V Bhatt passed this order recently while dealing with a petition filed by Shaik Chand Basha from Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, challenging a GOs issued by the AP government in 2016 appointing Qazis for Darsi and Singarayakonda areas of the district.
The judge referred to the recent news on contract marriages of Muslim girls to old Arab Sheikhs. “There is a need for the state governments and the Centre to come out with a suitable law to curb such illegalities. In fact, the Qazis are playing a key role in performing such marriages,” the judge pointed out and hoped that the governments concerned will take steps to register marriages of Muslims by developing an App.