Elderly knocks on High Court’s door for ‘identity’: 80 year old woman does not have identity card, bank is not giving money after husband’s death

An elderly woman has approached the Delhi High Court for her identity. 80-year-old Prabha Sood, who lives in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, filed a petition through advocate Jai Prakash Tehalani and said – she does not have any kind of photo identity card. He changed his name from Shashi Sood to Prabha Sood in 2002. Because of this, she is not able to get the money deposited in the bank with her and her late husband. The old lady has appealed to issue a gazette for her changed name.

The woman who made the petition told that she was born in 1941. She was married to Ram Prakash Sood in 1963. Her husband passed away in 2009. He did not have any photo identity card. Bank officers are asking them for this document to keep the account running.

He says that in 1999 he opened a bank account. Had bought shares and mutual funds in the name of Shashi Sood. Till the year 2000, she continued to buy shares and mutual funds from this account. Now for KYC, they neither have voter card, nor pan card etc. The petitioner said that he was issued a legal heir certificate by the Deputy Commissioner of Hoshiarpur in 2012.

He had submitted a registered application in the prescribed format to the Publications Department of Delhi, in which all necessary documents were attached, so as to publish in the Gazette that he has changed his name from Shashi Prabha Sood, Shashi and Shashi Sood to Prabha Sood . The petition states that the department had refused to publish his changed name in the Official Gazette of India, raising certain objections.

Justice V Kameswara Rao directed the petitioner to file an affidavit and certificate issued earlier by the authorities. The court has fixed April 12 for further hearing in the matter.