Uber accident death: Deceased woman's family struggle to get death certificate

After being traumatised by private players for over a month, Tanzila Shaikh's family is being made to run from pillar to post by govt officials for a basic piece of paper

Muzammil Shaikh, 39, the husband of Tanzila Shaikh, 35, who was killed on June 14 when the Uber she was travelling in crashed into a haphazardly parked garbage truck, has been running from pillar to post to get her death certificate made. Ideally, this should not have taken him more than three working days to acquire.

When Muzammil finally inquired at the citizen facilitation centre at Diva, he was told that the clerk supposed to sign the papers has been on leave for the past two weeks. Muzammil said Tanzila's R75 lakh full and final settlement and company insurance coverage cannot be processed without the death certificate. He told mid-day, "I first went to the TMC office in Panchpakhadi where they directed me to the Thane Municipal Corporation's office in Kausa. At Kausa, I was told the person who has to sign the certificate is on leave and to come back on June 26. On June 26, I was told that residences from Kausa and beyond now come under the TMC office at Diva Road."

Muzammil Shaikh

He said, "I immediately went to Diva, where they took the form and supporting documents and said it would take 15 days to issue just the abstract that I would need to show the ward in Mumbai, which would issue the death certificate. I was told that the authorised signatory was on leave for 10-15 days." Muzammil said he needs the death certificate for their home loan closure with LIC Housing and in case the full and final settlement is taxed. Madan Nahar, a senior charted accountant said, "The claims will not be taxed if the husband informs the income tax department about the demise. It will be taxed only if he invests it."

A fed-up Muzammil said, "I wonder if instead of Tanzila it had been me who had died, my wife would have had the toughest time trying to get things done with no support from anyone. I can't even imagine the ordeal and trauma she would have been put through," he said.

TMC says
Dr Ramrao Kendre, medical officer, TMC, under whom the facilitation centre at Diva comes, said, "The death certificate usually should not take more than five days. Usually the abstract of the burial/cremation needs to be collected from the local centre and submitted to the ward office in whose jurisdiction the death has been reported. The death certificate will be issued by the BMC ward office concerned." When told that the Diva centre clerk has been on leave for two weeks, he said, "You can ask the applicant to reach out to me, and I will do the needful."

Also read: Death of Mumbai woman in fatal crash raises safety concerns with cab aggregators

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