3 min readNew DelhiFeb 18, 2026 09:31 AM IST The Delhi High Court Monday directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian High Commission in the Maldives to grant consular access to the family of a 27-year-old Indian man so they can press charges against a Maldivian resort for violating labour laws and negligence. Aftab Khan reportedly went missing from the island in January last year, while snorkelling. Khan, a resident of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, travelled to the Maldives in March 2024 on a work visa and began working as a chef at a resort on Ifuru Island. A Division Bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia disposed of the appeal and directed MEA and the Indian High Commission in the Maldives to grant consular access to Aftab’s brother and his legal advisors in the Maldives. “Facilitate assistance for entry and exit procedures, and coordinate meetings with the employer of the late Mr Aftab Khan as well as the local investigative authorities,” the bench said. On January 15, …