Atul Subhash, a 34-year-old techie, was found hanging in his Bengaluru home on December 9. According to police, Atul died by suicide and left a 24-page note, talking about harassment by his ex-wife and in-laws. On December 14, Subhash's ex-wife Nikita Singhania, was arrested in Gurgaon, while her mother Nisha Singhania and brother Anurag Singhania were arrested in Prayagraj, according to DCP Whitefield Division, Bengaluru.
The Singhanias were produced in court and sent to 14-day judicial custody. Police added that the role of another accused, Nikita's relative Sushil Singhania, is under investigation, and efforts are underway to trace him. Nikita has been identified as accused No 1 in the case, her mother Nisha as accused No 2 and her brother Anurag as accused No 3.
Abetment Of Suicide Case
Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Atul Subhash lived in Manjunath Layout in Marathahalli police station limits in Bengaluru. He worked as a senior executive for a private firm in the city and had been living alone after separating from his wife. The suicide note found at Atul's house had four handwritten pages, while the other 20 pages were typed out.
The FIR says Atul Subhash married Nikita Singhania in 2019 and they had a child together. The complaint alleges that after their divorce, Nikita Singhania and her family filed a false case against Atul Subhash and insisted on ₹3 crore to settle the case.
A police officer said his wife, who works at a multi-national company in Delhi, had filed nine cases against him and his parents, including those of dowry harassment, murder, and unnatural sex. “It looks like he had planned his death and also pasted a timetable on his cupboard which reads Day 1 and Day 2 and things he was supposed to do before he died,” the officer said.
According to the suicide note, his wife was already receiving ₹40,000 every month as maintenance, “despite working at Accenture and earning her own money”, and yet, she demanded ₹2-4 lakhs more.
The Marathahalli police have registered a case against Subhash’s wife and three others from her family under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The deceased was found with a board around his neck with ‘Justice is Due’ written on it. Atul's brother, Bikas, shared that his brother wrote: "If I win from the system, devote my mortal remains in Ganga otherwise in a gutter outside the court."
"Many men victim of legal terrorism": Men's rights activist
Often, as a society, we fail to provide men with legal and emotional support when faced with difficult situations.
"There are men who are not able to express their views, their evidence is not seen, and not only them but their families also get implicated in many cases. A lot of these men commit suicide due to not being able to pay money. Many others suffer for years. In India, there is no platform, ministry or government support for them,” says men's rights activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj.
This case stands as a testament to the iniquitous society we live in.
Internet's Reaction
Hashtags #JusticeForAtulSubhash, #Accenture, and #NikitaSinghania are highly trending on social media platform X. Many users argued that the legal system needs total reform, as it is unfairly affecting innocent men and their families. Others expressed heartbreak, condemning the harassment Subhash endured from his ex-wife and the court over alimony. Many prominent figures observed the need for gender-neutral laws in India.
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