IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 23^RD DAY OF OCTOBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R. NATARAJ WRIT PETITION NO. 29858 OF 2025 (LB-BMP)

BETWEEN:

1. SMT. VIMALA RAJA W/O NILKANT PILLAI RAJAGOPAL (ALSO KNOWN AS NILKANT P RAJAGOPAL)

AGED ABOUT 79 YEARS R/AT NO.2103 PRESTIGE SHANTINIKETAN, ITPL MAIN ROAD, WHITEFIELD, BENGALURU-560 048.

2. SMT. MONISHA RAJA D/O NILKANT PILLAI RAJAGOPAL (ALSO KNOWN AS NILKANT P RAJAGOPAL)

AGED ABOUT 54 YEARS R/AT NO.2103, PRESTIGE SHANTINIKETAN ITPL MAIN ROAD, WHITEFIELD BENGALURU-560 048 Digitally signed by …PETITIONERS SUMA (BY SRI. NARAYANA BHAT MOVVAR, ADVOCATE)

Location:

HIGH COURT OF AND:

KARNATAKA

1. STATE OF KARNATAKA REP. BY ITS SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE M.S. BUILDING DR. B.R.AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU-560 001

2. BRUHAT BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE (NOW GREATER BENGALURU AUTHORITY)

BENGALURU EAST DIVISION, REP. BY ITS COMMISSIONER. N R SQUARE BENGALURU - 560 002

3. THE REGISTRAR OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS BRUHAT BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE (NOW GREATER BENGALURU AUTHORITY)

BENGALURU EAST DIVISION, N R SQUARE BENGALURU - 560 002

4. UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION AUTHORITY OF INDIA REPRESENTED BY ITS COMMISSIONER, BANGLA SAHIB RD, BEHIND KALI MANDIR, GOLE MARKET, NEW DELHI – 110 001

5. THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (STATISTICS)

CUM MEDICAL OFFICER (YELAHANKA)

BRUHAT BENGALURU MAHANAGARA PALIKE, YELAHANKA SUB DIVISION BENGALURU - 560 064 …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI.H.K.KENCHE GOWDA, AGA FOR R1;

SRI.PAWAN KUMAR, ADVOCATE FOR R2, R3 & R5;

SRI.B .M.KUSHALAPPA, ADVOCATE FOR R4)

THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO CALL FOR THE ENTIRE RECORDS FROM THE FILE OF THE RESPONDENTS AND TO DIRECT THE RESPONDENT NOS.2 AND 3 TO CORRECT THE DEATH CERTIFICATE OF LATE NILKANT P. RAJAGOPAL (ALSO KNOWN AS NILKANT PILLAI RAJAGOPAL) PRODUCED AS ANNEXURE-S BY RECORDING HIS NAME AS SUCH, IN PLACE OF THE INCORRECT ENTRY AND ETC., THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R. NATARAJ

ORAL ORDER

The petitioners have sought for a writ in the nature of mandamus to direct respondent Nos.2 and 3 to correct the name of the husband of the petitioner No.1 as mentioned in his death certificate. They have also sought for a writ in the nature of certiorari to quash the endorsement bearing No.Aa.Y(Ya Va)/Ja.Ma/P.R/05/25-26 dated 22.05.2025 issued by the respondent No.5. They have sought for a writ in the nature of mandamus to direct the respondent No.4 to carry out corresponding corrections in the Aadhar database.

2. (i) The petitioners claimed that the husband of the petitioner No.1 retired as a Major in the Indian Army. His name as recorded in the registers maintained by the Indian Army was Nilkant Pillai Rajagopal. They contend that the said name appears on the identity card issued by the Indian Army. Likewise, the Permanent Account Number card issued by the Income Tax Department also bears the same name. Similarly, the passport issued also bears the same name.

(ii) The husband of the petitioner No.1 renounced his Indian citizenship and was issued a passport by the United States of America, which also bears the same name. The petitioners have placed on record the documents of service maintained by the Ministry of Defence, which also show that his name was Nilkant Pillai Rajagopal. He was issued with an Overseas Citizenship of India (henceforth referred to as ‘OCI’

for short) card, which also carried the same name.

(iii) The petitioners claim that in the passport issued by the Indian authorities (vide Annexure-C), petitioner No.1's husband name i.e. 'Nilkant Pillai' is indicated in the column of legal guardian thereby wrongly insinuating that this is her father-in-law's name, and in the Aadhar card, the petitioner No.1 husband's name is mentioned as P Raja Gopal and his father's name wrongly recorded as 'PKN Pullai' instead of 'Pillai'. The petitioners have also placed on record the driving licence issued by the authorities in New York