The Delhi High Court Monday directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian High Commission in the Maldives to grant consular access to the family of a 27-year-old Indian man so they can press charges against a Maldivian resort for violating labour laws and negligence. Aftab Khan reportedly went missing from the island in January last year, while snorkelling.
Khan, a resident of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, travelled to the Maldives in March 2024 on a work visa and began working as a chef at a resort on Ifuru Island.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia disposed of the appeal and directed MEA and the Indian High Commission in the Maldives to grant consular access to Aftab’s brother and his legal advisors in the Maldives. “Facilitate assistance for entry and exit procedures, and coordinate meetings with the employer of the late Mr Aftab Khan as well as the local investigative authorities,” the bench said.
On January 15, a single bench judge closed a petition filed by Aftab’s brother, Mujeeb Khan, seeking consular assistance to locate Aftab. The family also claimed that the employer resort had not handed over documentary evidence regarding the snorkelling incident or Aftab’s phone.
The single judge dismissed the petition after noting that the government had taken appropriate steps to assist the family members in obtaining Aftab’s belongings.
However, Mujeeb, represented by Advocate Zeeshan Khan, appealed against the closure of the petition, primarily on the ground that the government had “failed to facilitate consular access in the letter and spirit”.
He said, despite repeated written communications and e-mails sent to the Indian High Commission in the Maldives and the appointed nodal officer, including the Embassy of the Republic of Maldives in New Delhi, specifically requesting facilitation of consular access and legal assistance for initiating proceedings against the resort, “no effective steps were taken in response thereto.”
Mujeeb was seeking consular assistance necessary “for initiating proceedings in the Republic of Maldives against the Employer-Resort for alleged negligence and violation of Labour and Safety Laws.”
Mujeeb submitted that the government responded with “a perfunctory communication advising him to approach the Maldives High Commission in New Delhi, which itself failed to respond or take any concrete steps and thereby creating an administrative impasse and frustrating (Mujeeb’s) right to access justice in a foreign jurisdiction.”
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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