Colaba Police Register FIR Against Advocate And His Son For Allegedly Abetting Suicide Of Lawyer Sarita Oswal Found Dead Near Gateway Of India

Mumbai: The Colaba Police have registered an FIR against an advocate and his son for allegedly abetting the suicide of advocate Sarita Oswal, who was found dead in the sea near Gateway of India on April 10.

Long-running legal dispute over ancestral land in Alibag

According to FIR, The case was registered on the complaint of Sarita's elder sister, Sangeeta Purushottam Shah (61), a resident of Ghatkopar East. According to the complaint, the family had been involved in a long-running legal dispute over ancestral land located at Mandwa in Alibag.

The complainant stated that the dispute between her late father Purushottam Shah and her father's brothers (uncle) regarding the ancestral property had been pending before the High Court. Following Purushottam Shah's death in 2016, the High Court delivered a judgment in 2017 directing partition of the land among family members. However, one branch of the family challenged the order before the Supreme Court.

Accused allegedly threatened her after she argued in Supreme Court

To pursue the matter before the apex court, Sarita Oswal, herself an advocate, engaged the through personal contacts. The advocate allegedly charged legal fees amounting to ₹35 lakh, which were paid by the Oswal family in two installments. The complainant alleged that despite receiving the fees, the advocate frequently demanded additional payments and was often absent during court hearings, forcing Sarita to personally monitor and pursue the case.

According to the complaint, during the final hearing before the Supreme Court on February 15, 2024, Sarita personally argued aspects of the case before the judges. The family alleged that the advocate became upset over the incident and subsequently threatened her, saying he would "deal with her" once she returned to Mumbai.

Family cancelled transaction after payment delays

The family further alleged that while the litigation was pending, they decided to sell the Mandwa property to avoid future legal complications. The advocate allegedly offered to find a buyer but failed to introduce any prospective purchaser despite repeated assurances over a period of two to three years. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the High Court's decision on March 19, 2024. A subsequent curative petition filed by another family member was dismissed by the Supreme Court on January 28, 2026.

According to the complaint, the advocate later informed the family that the property could not be sold due to the ongoing litigation and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with them on August 10, 2024. Two days later, he allegedly obtained a power of attorney in favour of his son without properly explaining the contents of the documents.

Victim was undergoing depression treatment for years

The complainant alleged that on December 10, 2024, the land was sold to the advocate's son for ₹40 crore, with the entire payment scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2025. However, only ₹2.57 crore was allegedly paid, while the remaining amount remained unpaid. When Sarita and her family repeatedly demanded the balance payment, the accused allegedly delayed the matter and imposed additional conditions, including transferring names on revenue records and providing property documents related to the family's Ghatkopar residence.

The family subsequently cancelled the transaction in November 2025. Thereafter, according to the complaint, the advocate allegedly began sending defamation notices and threatened to implicate family members in false criminal cases. Non-cognisable complaints regarding the alleged threats were reportedly lodged at Pant Nagar Police Station.

Investigators have also recorded that Sarita had been undergoing treatment for depression for several years. The complaint states that on January 27, 2026, the advocate filed a complaint before the Bar Council seeking cancellation of her advocate's licence and allegedly informed her about it over the phone. Following the incident, she was admitted to a hospital in Bhandup and was discharged on January 31.

The family claims that her mental condition deteriorated further after the advocate also filed cheating complaints against them before the Economic Offences Wing and Pant Nagar Police Station. On March 31, 2026, the family was called for inquiry in connection with one such complaint, after which Sarita allegedly became increasingly distressed and stopped eating properly.

The complaint further states that on April 2, 2026, Sarita's son Aditya Oswal found a handwritten note at their residence allegedly written by her, stating that she was ending her life because she was fed up with the advocate. The note reportedly did not carry any date. On April 10, 2026, Sarita allegedly left her residence and went missing. While family members were in the process of filing a missing person complaint at Pant Nagar Police Station, they were informed that a woman's body had been recovered from the waters near Gateway of India. The body was subsequently identified as Sarita Oswal.

Based on the complaint, the Colaba Police have registered an FIR against the advocate and his son. The investigation is underway to determine the circumstances leading to the alleged suicide and the role of the accused in the matter. Police officials said further inquiry is in progress.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/