<div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre on a fresh plea challenging practices of polygamy and nikah halala among Muslims. After issuing notice to the Centre, a bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, referred the matter to a constitution bench that has been already asked to hear a batch of similar petitions. </span></div>''<div><br />''</div>''<div>The fresh plea sought a direction from the apex court to declare polygamy and nikah halala illegal and unconstitutional for being violative of several Articles of the Constitution. The petition also sought a declaration that extra-judicial talaq, nikah halala, and polygamy are offences under various sections of Indian Penal Code.</div>''<div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span> </div>''<div>The apex court had in August last year banned the age-old practice of instant triple talaq. In March this year, it had decided to refer to a larger bench a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of polygamy and nikah halala.</div>