Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Jun 27: Rifai Musliyar from Murnad in Madikeri taluk of Kodagu district, presently working as teacher of a Madrassa at Manjeshwar in Kasargod district, has fled after complaint about keeping his previous wives in the dark about his marriage plans was filed. Musliyar was about to marry a fourth time, when his third wife from Kavu, who he had married two months back, filed police complaint.

Musliyar has been reportedly marrying girls with an eye on obtaining dowry.

Musliyar has three children from his first wife, it is said, and he married a second time without the knowledge of the first wife. Thereafter, he married Tahira from Kavu in the taluk, duly lying to her that he was a bachelor. It is said that he had received dowry in the form of 20 sovereigns of gold ornaments and two lac rupees in cash. The gold he received during the third marriage has already been sold, it is said.

His first wife, Naseema, came to know that Musliyar had put up an application in the local sub-registrar's office for fourth marriage. She visited the office and saw in the notice board the marriage application of her husband. Although she sought help from Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner, A B Ibrahim, who was on a visit to that office that day, he reportedly expressed helplessness. She then came before the media persons along with three children and explained about her ordeal.

In the meanwhile, the third wife of Musiyar also came to know about the fourth marriage of her husband. She complained to the town police station here against her husband as well as a marriage broker named Khader, seeking action against them. She has alleged that the above broker had lied to her and her family members about the marital status of Rifai Musliyar, and that the gold her family had given during the marriage had been sold off by her husband. She also said that she came to know about his previous marriages after Naseema found out about the falsehood of her husband.

Family members of Tahira feel that the accused would have married more than four times, adding that his other wives might not yet be knowing about his other marriages.