India's top court rules controversial Muslim divorce law 'unconstitutional'

NEW DELHI: India's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a controversial Muslim divorce law was "unconstitutional", a decision that could herald the end of a law that Muslim women had long argued violated their right to equality.

The law allows Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering the word "talaq" three times. Muslim women say they have been left destitute by husbands divorcing them through "triple talaq", including by Skype and WhatsApp.

Three of the five judges hearing a case questioning the legality of "triple talaq" ruled it as "unconstitutional".

"The government should find a way to frame new laws," the three judges said in their ruling, which overruled the other two judges.