The remains of 32-year-old seafarer Dixit Solanki, who died in an alleged missile strike on his tanker off the coast of Oman on March 1, were brought back to Mumbai from Sharjah on Sunday. Solanki is one of the first Indian casualties of the ongoing conflict in West Asia. His family has stated they will not conduct final rites until a DNA test confirms his identity. An advocate for the family plans to approach the Bombay High Court on Monday to request that the government refer the remains to the Kalina forensic laboratory for testing.
The shipping ministry reported that there was only one casualty aboard the vessel and claimed identification had been established. The remains were transported to Mumbai via a cargo flight, as confirmed by a Directorate General of Shipping official. Dixit’s father, Amratlal Solanki, and sister Mitali had previously petitioned the High Court for the swift repatriation of his remains, which arrived shortly after their request.
On Sunday morning, Amratlal collected the remains after obtaining clearance from the Sahar Police. The family then took the remains to JJ Hospital in Byculla for DNA identification. Mitali expressed the family’s desire for a DNA test and mentioned that they are in contact with government authorities. Amratlal noted that he has not received any written documentation confirming a positive DNA match and will only proceed with final rites once verification is complete. The Solanki family resides in Kandivli, Mumbai, but originally hails from Ghogla in Diu.
