Bombay High Court to hear widow’s plea for death certificate for husband who jumped off Atal Setu

However, as per Sunaina, around 1 pm on July 24, officials of the Nhava Sheva (Navi Mumbai) police station informed her that her husband’s car had been located on the Atal Setu. As per the police probe and CCTV footage, the driver stopped the vehicle on the bridge and jumped into the sea. Sunaina said she identified her husband in the footage after reaching the police station.

The high court on December 16, 2025, issued notices to the respondent authorities, and the plea was mentioned by Sunaina’s advocate, Anita Castellino, on April 23.

‘Produce evidence first’

A division bench of Justices Ravindra V Ghuge and Hiten S Venegavkar suggested initiating appropriate proceedings to produce oral and documentary evidence and prove the footage before the authority concerned under the Evidence Act.

The lawyer stated that the footage was from a CCTV camera on the bridge, that the police had confirmed it, and that Sunaina should receive some interim relief.

“You must judge your case as you know the law, and then you must tell us whether we can declare a person to be dead without recording oral and documentary evidence within two years of his disappearance,” the court orally said.

The plea is likely to be heard on July 15.

The plea stated that Sunaina’s request to marine security patrol boats and fisherfolk to locate her husband yielded no results and that his “whereabouts remain unknown till date”.

Sunaina stated that her husband was under “considerable stress due to financial burden and pressure from the banks” related to the non-repayment of amounts due on three credit cards. Moreover, her requests to the Uran, Navi Mumbai, and Panvel civic bodies for a death certificate received no proper response, prompting her to approach the court.

Sunaina stated that without a death certificate, she couldn’t avail of preferential appointments or welfare schemes. She has been looking after her elderly mother and disabled daughter. Her mother, a retired railway employee, needed a death certificate to avail of financial benefits for the “dependent widow daughter”.

“Petitioner’s late husband’s death certificate is of utmost necessity for all legal and procedural purposes. The death certificate is essential for the petitioner to fulfil various requirements, such as her daughter’s medical and school admission purposes, withdrawal of provident fund amount, claiming of insurance, accessing legal aid, and completing other formalities associated with her husband’s death,” the plea claimed.