New Delhi:

The four-year-old son of Atul Subhash – the Bengaluru techie who died by suicide December – and Nikita Singhania – his estranged wife, whom he had accused of harassment leading to his death – was produced before the Supreme Court Monday evening.

Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice SC Sharma had directed Ms Singhania’s lawyer produce the child via video link. They were hearing a plea by Anju Devi, Mr Subhash’s mother, seeking the boy’s custody.

As the hearing began today, the petitioners sought a week’s time to file a more detailed affidavit. But Justice Nagarathna dismissed any such request, and said, “This is a habeas corpus (petition)… we want to see the child. Produce the child. The court will take up the matter after some time…”

This is the second time in as many hearings the court has demanded to see the boy.

Earlier this month Ms Singhania told the court the boy was a student of a boarding school in Haryana’s Faridabad, and that he would be withdrawn to accompany his mother to Bengaluru.

READ | Court’s “Stranger” Remark As Atul Subhash’s Mom Wants Grandson

“We will take the child to Bengaluru… We have taken the boy out of school. The mother must be in Bengaluru to fulfill bail conditions,” her lawyer said then, after which a bench of Justice Nagarathna and Justice N Kotiswar Singh said the child had to be produced before it for the next hearing.

Ms Singhania and members of her family – her mother, Nisha; and brother, Anurag – face charges of abetting the suicide of Atul Subhash, 34. Both were arrested and later given bail.

READ | Atul Subhash’s Wife, In-Laws Get Bail In Suicide Abetment Case

After Ms Singhania’s arrest, Ms Devi approached the Supreme Court for custody of her grandson. Mr Subhash’s father, Pawan Kumar, also publicly demanded custody of the young boy.

The petition claimed that neither Ms Singhania, nor her family members had disclosed the child’s whereabouts. Ms Singhania had said then the boy was with her uncle, Sushil Singhania.

READ | Atul Subhash’s Mother Goes To Court For 4-Year-Old Grandson

However, he later denied knowledge of the child’s location. The court then directed the governments of three states – Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana – to provide clarity on the situation.

The court then also noted the boy had spent barely any time with his grandmother.

“Sorry to say the child is a stranger to the petitioner,” Justice Nagarathna remarked, but also acknowledging the issue of custody would first have to be heard by an appropriate lower court.

Atul Subhash and Nikita Singhania were wed in 2019. The son was born in 2020. In 2021, Ms Singhania left the couple’s Bengaluru home after an altercation. In 2022, she filed a case against Mr Subhash and his family members.

After two years of bitter squabbles, Mr Subhash died by suicide at his Bengaluru flat on December 9.

In an 81-minute video and a 24-page suicide note, he accused Ms Singhania and her family of filing false cases against him and his parents to extort Rs 3 crore.

READ | “I Started Saving For Your Car”: Atul Subhash’s Letter To Son, 4

He also alleged the justice system is biased to favour women in such cases. The incident triggered outrage and debate on the misuse of laws created to protect women from cruelty by husband or in-laws.

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New Delhi:

Ending weeks of suspense over the whereabouts of AI techie Atul Subhash’s four-year-son, his estranged wife Nikita Singhania told the Supreme Court today that the child is at a boarding school in Haryana’s Faridabad. Nikita’s lawyer added that the child would be taken to Bengaluru where he can stay with his mother.

Thirty-four-year-old Atul Subhash died by suicide in December after accusing Nikita and her family members of harassing him and his parents by filing false cases against them. Nikita, her mother Nisha, and her brother Anurag are facing an abetment to suicide case and are currently out on bail.

Atul’s mother Anju Devi has approached the Supreme Court, seeking custody of her grandson. Nikita’s lawyer told the court today that the four-year-old had been enrolled in a Faridabad boarding school and was there during her mother’s arrest and subsequent bail. The child will, however, need to be shifted to Bengaluru because Nikita needs to be there as per the conditions of her bail.

“We will take the child to Bengaluru. We have taken the boy out of school. The mother has to remain in Bengaluru to fulfill bail conditions,” her lawyer told the bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice N Kotiswar Singh.

The bench then directed that the child must be produced in court in the next hearing.

The lawyer representing Anju Devi told the court that as the grandmother, she should be given custody of the child. The lawyer said a child below six should not be sent to a boarding school.

The bench also noted that the child has barely spent time with his grandmother. “Sorry to say but the child is a stranger to the petitioner,” Justice Nagaratna remarked. Anju Devi’s lawyer said they have pictures of the grandmother interacting with the child when he was two years old. Atul and Nikita married in 2019 and had a son the next year. In 2021, Nikita left their Bengaluru home after an altercation and in 2022, she filed a case against Atul and his family members. 

The court also stressed that Nikita Singhania is yet to be proven guilty and that it can’t decide the matter based on a “media trial”.

The bench said that the issue of the child’s custody will have to be taken up in the appropriate court where the trial is on. The next hearing on the matter is on January 20.

Atul Subhash died by suicide at his Bengaluru flat on December 9. In an 81-minute video and a 24-page suicide note, the techie accused Nikita and his family members of filing false cases against him and his parents to extort money from them. He also alleged that the justice system is biased to favour women in such cases.

The incident triggered outrage and a nationwide debate on the misuse of laws created to protect women from cruelty by husband or in-laws.

New Delhi:

As the suicide of a Bengaluru techie due to alleged harassment by his estranged wife and her family sparked a massive outcry, a similar case of torture and intimidation had taken place in Delhi, where a man died by suicide reportedly after he was falsely implicated in rape and dowry cases in 2017.

A written complaint addressed to then Sarita Vihar Police Station in-charge and a suicide note purportedly written by Arvind Bharti claimed his wife, Richa, wrongly accused him and his family of various acts, and harassed them with false cases even after their divorce.

Arvind Bharti, a resident of Yamuna Vihar, said he was “blackmailed and tortured day and night” by Richa, and that she was solely responsible for his death. He also said he had little hope from the police in the matter.

NDTV has seen copies of the written police complaint and the purported suicide note, both of which are written in Hindi. While the complaint letter was written a day before Bharti’s death, it is not clear when it was submitted to the police. 

Bharti, who worked as a physiotherapist before he joined a computer firm, died by suicide on December 15, 2017. Richa was arrested following his death and later granted bail. The trial in the case is underway.

Complaint Letter To Police

In his six-page letter to Sarita Vihar Police, Bharti explained how his wife pushed him to take the extreme step. He said he and Richa had a love marriage in 2008 but her behaviour towards him and his family changed drastically after that

“She used to register false police complaints, due to which we stayed together only for a few days. She later filed a false dowry case against me. I was discharged in the case by a Delhi court in 2013,” Bharti said. 

He said the couple eventually parted ways in 2016 but the alleged harassment still did not stop. Richa often followed Bharti to his office and his coaching institute to insult him and her actions also cost him his job, he claimed.

Bharti also alleged that his former wife once lodged a false case of rape against him. “The police physically and mentally tortured me and refused to register my complaint (against her). A compromise was reached and they sent me to Richa’s house where her family stripped me and locked me in a room. I was neither given any water to drink nor food to eat,” he said. 

Bharti said Richa filed a fresh rape case against him when his brother, Vipin, arrived with the police to rescue him days later.

Bharti alleged Richa often pressured him with her demands for money. “… I cannot even complain to anyone because I know that another false case will be filed against me,” he said. 

He said on one occasion, Richa told him, “You haven’t been able to do anything to me. Even the police and the Human Rights (Commission) have not accepted your and your father’s complaint”. 

No Faith In Police

Bharti alleged it was easy for Richa to blackmail and threaten him since her false complaints were always registered. 

He alleged that, on one occasion, Richa forcibly took away his bag with his office laptop, wallet, his bike documents, money and a company’s invoice with a cheque of Rs 32 lakh. 

“I am listening to Richa for one last time and killing myself. Otherwise, I shall die this way everyday,” he added. 

Suicide Note

In the four-page note, Bharti said he was writing his “last letter” and urged his family to not mourn his death. He provided details of the items that were reportedly forcibly taken away by Richa, and of money that he owed to some of his friends. 

He also urged his family to move on with their lives. “God will punish her (Richa),” he said.

He continued: “I used to suffer day and night and I knew I would have to take this extreme step one day or the other… I am very tired and I cannot suffer for another second. Please do not take action against Richa… I will no longer be alive and your life might also get spoiled.” 

‘Miss Him Even Today’

Arvind’s mother said she misses her son. “I do not hang Arvind’s photo on the wall because I miss him even today. His former wife was arrested and later released on bail. The matter is still in court,” she said.

Richa could not be reached for comment. 

Bengaluru:

The family of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash, who died by suicide after alleging harassment by his estranged wife in videos and posts, has filed a police complaint against his wife, her family members, and a judge.

Bikas Kumar, the brother of the 34-year-old, has filed an FIR (First Information Report) in Bengaluru for abetment of suicide against his wife Nikita Singhania, her mother Nisha Singhania, her brother Anurag Singhania and her uncle Sushil Singhania.

Atul Subhash, who was from Uttar Pradesh but lived in Bengaluru and worked for a private firm, left a 24-page note detailing what he alleged was years of emotional distress because of harassment and multiple cases filed by his wife and her family, and a judge in Uttar Pradesh.

As details emerge of Atul Subhash’s note and videos, the family is in shock and has vowed to seek justice.

“My brother did everything for her. Whatever has happened was unfortunate. If he had ever discussed it with me or our father – we would have helped him get out of this situation…,” Bikas Kumar told reporters.

“I want to request the government of India and the President – that justice must be done to my brother if he is with truth otherwise give me the proof to show that he is wrong. There should be a proper investigation against the judge who is named in my brother’s suicide,” he said.

Bikas said even in his suicide notes, Atul Subhash wrote—‘ If I win from the system, devote my mortal remains in Ganga otherwise in a gutter outside the court.”

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 Rs 3 crore to settle the case.

The Bengaluru police received a call at 6:00 am on Monday about a suicide in a flat. The police found the flat bolted from inside. They broke in to find Atul Subhash hanging.

The police also found the 24-page note in which Atul Subhash wrote “Justice is Due” on every single page. Along with his wife and her family, Subhash also accused a family court judge in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur of not hearing him out, and an officer of the court of taking bribes in front of the judge. Atul claimed his wife had filed nine cases against him, including murder, sexual misconduct, harassment for money, domestic violence, and dowry.

Atul Subhash described the instances that he said drove him to his death. He recorded a video describing his alleged harassment and asking his family members not to immerse his ashes until he got justice. He also had a message for his four-year-old son, who he claimed had been kept away from him. The note also called for his parents to be given custody of his child.