Within hours before his disappearance, Pathan placed a telephone call to his junior, Deepak, uttering, “If anything happens to me, come to the bridge near the court,” a cryptic message that set off alarm bells. Deepak rushed to his office, found it empty, and informed Pathan’s son. Their concern led them to the cable-stayed bridge near the district court where Pathan’s scooter was found parked beneath it. Police and fire teams began a night-long search; his body ultimately washed ashore at around midnight. A post-mortem confirmed drowning as the cause of death.
Medical and family sources revealed that Pathan had been suffering from a prolonged battle with depression, exacerbated by a serious kidney infection and mounting financial burdens. He had attempted suicide around nine months earlier, ingesting poison and inflicting wrist injuries, leaving his kidneys badly damaged. He had also lost much of his legal practice: a once-thriving team of 12 junior lawyers had dwindled to just two as his health deteriorated. Colleagues noted that he had become increasingly withdrawn, sitting idle in court for hours.
Pathan had enjoyed a respected legal career, including representing a national figure—Rahul Gandhi—for whom he had served as a lawyer. He held the position of legal cell chairman of the Surat City Congress until 2023. His father, Saheb Khan, was a noted qawwali singer and had political ties as a municipal councillor and assembly candidate in the 1980s and ’90s.
The circumstances leading to his death appear to have been a cruel convergence of personal, health and professional pressures. Mounting family disputes, property-related debts and dwindling legal work weighed heavily upon him. This profound despair, combined with ongoing health struggles, seems to have compelled him to take the irreversible step.
The bereavement sent ripples through Surat’s legal community and beyond. Colleagues and friends have described the city as being “stunned,” with legal professionals mourning the loss of a sharp and once-vibrant advocate. Authorities indicated that police would further probe his financial situation to uncover all factors that may have contributed to his tragic decision. No suicide note has been discovered.