Bengaluru:

The accused wife should not be allowed to use the child as a tool to get bail in the court, said Akash Jindal, counsel for Atul Subhash, an automobile company employee, who committed suicide alleging his wife demanded Rs 3 crore for divorce settlement.

The bail matter of the accused wife of Atul Subhash is slated to be heard on January 4 in the Bengaluru court. The bail application from the accused Nikita Singhania was registered on Monday and the counsel for her and other accused argued how and why the bail should not be granted to the accused persons in the case.

The counsel for the Atul Subhash family further stated, “The criminal nature is accumulating to this procedure and she can’t take advantage of the child and we have sought total custody of the child.”

“Our stand was that the crime, which they have committed is very heinous, additionally we have filed a habeas corpus petition before the Supreme Court where the court has passed directions to the three states UP, Karnataka and Haryana for ascertaining the whereabouts of the kid and once the child is found, accordingly will pass directions for considering the custody of the kid,” he said.

“Why the 4-year-old child was staying away from his mother and he was in the hostel? The grandparents are worried about the grandkid,” he said.

Pavan Kumar Modi, the father of Atul Subhash, stated that the family is worried about the safety of Atul’s child. If the court grants bail to Atul’s wife, she can attack the child and endanger his life. “If she can drive my son to commit suicide, she can also do the same to the kid as well,” he added.

“My grandson was ATM to her. She got money on the pretext of taking care of him. She approached the High Court demanding Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000. She went on to appeal for Rs 80,000. Even after this, she went on demanding more money. Hence, we have approached the Supreme Court for the custody of the child as he is safe with us,” he stated.

Bikas Kumar, brother of Atul Subhash, stated that the family is happy about the investigation by the police department. “The police supported us and we have fulfilled their requirements and they are carrying out the investigation. We have to get custody of the child and we have informed our advocate about this. The matter is before the Supreme Court,” he added.

When asked about the child’s whereabouts, he said that they do not know about the whereabouts of Atul’s son. “We are waiting for the January 7 hearing in the Supreme Court in this regard,” he stated.

Subhash, who was working with an automobile company in Bengaluru, allegedly committed suicide as a demand of Rs 3 crore was made for a divorce settlement. He ended his life at his apartment in the early hours of December 9, leaving behind a 90-minute video and a 40-page death note, explaining how harassment by his wife Nikita Singhania and her family forced him to take the extreme step.

Three accused in Atul Subhash’s suicide case — his wife, her mother and brother — who were arrested by Bengaluru Police, were sent to 14-day judicial custody.

The police registered an FIR against the accused persons under Sections 108, 3 (5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) on December 9. Bikas Kumar had lodged a police complaint alleging abetment to suicide with the Marathahalli police in Bengaluru.

Bikas Kumar alleged in the complaint that false cases were lodged against his brother (Atul) by the accused, demanding Rs 3 crore to settle the case. He had also alleged that his brother was taunted in the court during the proceedings that he had to either give Rs 3 crore or commit suicide.

Nikita’s family had alleged that the Atul Subhash demanded a hefty dowry from her family which resulted in the death of her father.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A group of activists demanding justice for techie Atul Subhash chased Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s cavalcade on Delhi streets to draw his attention to the issue. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha heard them and responded by throwing a chocolate.

Thirty-four-year-old techie Atul Subhash died by suicide on December 9 after accusing his estranged wife Nikita Singhania and her family members of harassing him and his family by filing false cases. In an 80-minute video and 24-page suicide note, Atul alleged that Nikita had slapped multiple cases to extort money and also refused to let him meet their son.

While Atul’s death made national headlines and triggered a debate on the misuse of laws aimed at protecting women, no political leader has spoken about the issue so far.

Lawyer-activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, who has been raising the misuse of anti-dowry laws for years, has demanded justice for Atul Subhash and argued that laws meant to protect women are being misused to harass men and their families.

No Parliamentarian has spoken about tragic suicide by #AtulSubhash and the reasons behind suicides by so many men in India

When we were on our way to the condolence meeting in Delhi, we happened to spot @RahulGandhi on the highway and despite his entourage shouting at us, told… pic.twitter.com/enxW3Ubbws

— Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) December 18, 2024

Sharing a video of the car chase, Ms Bhardwaj said she and some others were on their way to a condolence meeting in the memory of Atul Subhash when they spotted Mr Gandhi’s cavalcade.

“No Parliamentarian has spoken about tragic suicide by #AtulSubhash and the reasons behind suicides by so many men in India. When we were on our way to the condolence meeting in Delhi, we happened to spot @RahulGandhi on the highway and despite his entourage shouting at us, told him about Atul and the reason for his extreme step. Thanks to @ruchikokcha our driving champ, we succeeded in conveying the message,” she said in a post on X.

The video shows Ms Bhardwaj and her friends in a car driving parallel to the vehicle of the Congress leader. To attract the Congress leader’s name, they waved posters with Atul’s photo and shouted Mr Gandhi’s name. The security personnel accompanying the Leader of the Opposition tried to stop them, but they persisted. Eventually, they managed to draw Mr Gandhi’s attention. After a few seconds of the two cars driving parallel, during which Ms Bhardwaj and others spoke about Atul’s suicide, Mr Gandhi threw something into their car. Ms Bhardwaj confirmed to NDTV that it was a KitKat.

“Though, we don’t know if he will bother to look at the case but at this point I just hope someone does and raise this in Parliament,” she said in her post.

“We spotted his cavalcade and thought we should try to tell him about this case. After a chase and a lot of shouting by his escorts, we eventually captured his attention. He asked what happened and we told him that Atul Subhash died by suicide and that we seek justice for him. I have dropped a message to his assistant and requested a meeting. We haven’t got a response yet,” Ms Bhardwaj told NDTV.

“It is important for the Opposition to hold the government responsible for pressing issues in the society. This is one such issue. I hope Mr Gandhi takes note and does something about it,” she said. 

Atul Subhash was found dead at his Bengaluru home on the morning of December 9. His brother Bikas Kumar has filed an abetment to suicide case against Nikita, her mother Nisha, brother Anurag and uncle Sushil. Nikita, her mother and brother have been arrested. 

New Delhi:

Nearly a week after 34-year-old techie Atul Subhash died by suicide, accusing his estranged wife Nikita and her family members of harassment, several files in a Google Drive link he shared before his death have mysteriously gone missing. The files missing from the shared Google Drive include his 24-page suicide note and a letter titled ‘To Milords’ that criticised the justice system.

While law enforcement authorities have not spoken about this yet, several social media users have alleged a cover-up attempt in the case that has grabbed national headlines and sparked massive outrage. The shared drive now shows a poem titled Death Knows No Fear, a letter addressed to the President and a declaration in which he said he was “not guilty” of any charge levelled by Nikita — these files were present earlier too. 

Several social media posts have alleged a “clean-up” to destroy evidence and urged Bengaluru police to investigate the matter. Some users, who had saved the files earlier, have shared them again on multiple platforms for others to access. Some have also accused law enforcement authorities of getting Google to remove the files from the drive Atul shared before his death. Neither police nor Google have responded to this so far.

Atul Subhash was found dead at his Bengaluru home last Monday. A detailed note, with ‘justice is due’ written on top, was found at his home. Before his death, he shared the note and other material in a Google Drive with open access, and recorded an 80-minute video, narrating his experience of a long-drawn legal fight.

Accusing his estranged wife Nikita, her mother Nisha Singhania, brother Anurag Singhania and uncle Sushil Singhania of harassment and extortion, Atul said Nikita filed false cases of cruelty against him and his family members. He said she had demanded a huge sum of Rs 3 crore to settle the case and used their four-year-old to extort him. Atul said the court had asked him to pay Nikita Rs 80,000 monthly as maintenance for herself and her son, but she wanted a sum of Rs 2 lakh. He also slammed the justice system and alleged that it was biased towards women in such cases.

Following his death, his brother Bikas Kumar filed an abetment to suicide case. Nikita, her mother Nisha Singhania and brother Anurag Singhania have been arrested, while her uncle Sushil is on the run. The three accused were produced in court and remanded in judicial custody for two weeks.

Atul’s family has now asked where his son was and demanded that he be handed over to them.

New Delhi:

Hours after Atul Subhash’s estranged wife Nikita Singhania, her mother Nisha and brother Anurag were arrested for allegedly abetting his suicide, the techie’s father Pawan Kumar Modi has questioned where Atul’s four-year-old son is and said the family was worried about him.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Mr Modi thanked the police for arresting Nikita and her family members in the abetment to suicide case. “We don’t know where she has kept our grandson. Has he been killed or is he alive? We don’t know anything about him. I want my grandson to be with us,” he said.

“I thank the police and law enforcement. At least they have been arrested,” Mr Modi said. The family has decided not to immerse Atul’s ashes till they get justice. “We have brought his ashes. We are religious, but we will not immerse his ashes till we get justice.” Mr Modi alleged that the judge hearing Atul’s case in Jaunpur family court was corrupt. “She asked him for money. He was not someone who would pay bribes. He was ready to pay a penalty, but never bribe.”

#WATCH | Samastipur, Bihar: Atul Subhash suicide case | On the arrest of accused Nikita Singhania, Nisha Singhania and Anurag Singhania, Pawan Kumar Modi, father of deceased Atul Subhash says, “We don’t know where she has kept our grandson. Has he been killed or is he alive? We… pic.twitter.com/8TBQcWtQfM

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2024

The elderly father, who lost his 34-year-old son last week, broke down and said he had never seen his grandson. The child was born in 2020 and Nikita and Atul separated the next year. “We appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to ensure we get our grandson. I have only seen him on video calls, never held him close. For a grandfather, his grandson is more special than his son,” he said, his voice choking with tears.

Atul Subhash’s brother Bikas Kumar, who filed the abetment to suicide complaint, voiced his father’s concern. “The biggest concern at present to know about the son of my brother. I want to thank Karnataka Police for arresting three persons. Some arrests are pending according to our complaint. We hope it will happen soon,” he told news agency.

Atul Subhash, who was found dead at his Bengaluru home last Monday, listed his last wishes in a 24-page suicide note. One of them was, “Give custody of my child to my parents who can raise him with better values”.

In his 24-page note, the 34-year-old techie accused his estranged wife Nikita, her mother Nisha Singhania, brother Anurag Singhania and uncle Sushil Singhania of harassment and extortion. He alleged that Nikita filed false cases of cruelty against him and his family members and demanded a huge sum of Rs 3 crore to settle the case. Atul also said the court had asked him to pay Nikita Rs 80,000 monthly as maintenance for herself and her son, but she wanted a sum of Rs 2 lakh. Atul also criticised the justice system, saying that the laws were biased to favour women.

“The more I work hard and become better at my work, the more I and my family will be harassed and extorted and the whole legal system will encourage and help my harassers… Now, with me gone, there won’t be any money and there won’t be any reason to harass my old parents and my brother. I may have destroyed my body but it has saved everything I believe in.”

Nikita, her mother and brother have been arrested, taken to Bengaluru and remanded in police custody for 14 days. Her uncle Sushil Singhania, also an accused, is on the run. 

New Delhi:

Mere harassment is not sufficient to hold someone guilty of abetment to suicide, the Supreme Court has said, adding that there must be evidence of direct or indirect incitement for conviction in such cases. The order comes amid a massive row over 34-year-old techie Atul Subhash’s death by suicide. In an 81-minute video and a 24-page note, Subhash accused his estranged wife Nikita Singhania and her family members of harassment and extortion. Based on a complaint by Atul’s family, Bengaluru police have registered an abetment to suicide case against Nikita and three others.

The Supreme Court’s order came while it was hearing a challenge against a Gujarat High Court order that refused relief to a man and his family members accused of abetting his wife’s suicide.

“For a conviction under Section 306 of the IPC, it is a well-established legal principle that the presence of clear mens rea – the intention to abet the act – is essential. Mere harassment, by itself, is not sufficient to find an accused guilty of abetting suicide,” the bench said in its December 10 order.

The bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice PB Varale said the prosecution must demonstrate an active or direct action by the accused that led the deceased to die by suicide. In the Gujarat case, the court discharged the accused in the abetment to suicide case, but upheld the charge under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cruelty against a woman by her husband or his family members.

The bench said that the woman married in 2009 and the couple had no children for five years after the wedding. For this reason, she was allegedly harassed physically and mentally. In 2021, she died by suicide and her father accused her husband and in-laws of abetment and cruelty. The sessions court ordered the framing of charges against them under both counts and the high court upheld this.

The top court, however, said, “For a person to be charged under this section (306), the prosecution must establish that the accused contributed to the act of suicide by the deceased.”

“Thus, in cases of death of a wife, the court must meticulously examine the facts and circumstances of the case, as well as assess the evidence presented. It is necessary to determine whether the cruelty or harassment inflicted on the victim left them with no other option but to end their life,” it said.

“Mere allegations of harassment are insufficient to establish guilt. For a conviction, there must be evidence of a positive act by the accused, closely linked to the time of the incident, that compelled or drove the victim to commit suicide,” the court added.

In this case, the court said, it prima facie appeared that the accused did not commit any direct act or instigate the act of suicide.

The Supreme Court, however, upheld the cruelty charge. “The appellants’ argument that the deceased had not made a single complaint for cruelty or harassment against the appellants in the 12 years of marriage cannot be sustained. Merely because she did not file any complaint for twelve years does not guarantee that there was no instance of cruelty or harassment,” it said, giving a go-ahead to the trial under this count.

The Supreme Court’s order in this case comes against the backdrop of a massive row surrounding Atul Subhash’s death by suicide. The 34-year-old has detailed in a 24-page note alleged remarks by his wife Nikita and her mother Nisha that drove him to the edge. Bengaluru Police have filed an abetment to suicide case against Nikita, her mother Nisha, brother Anurag and uncle Sushil Singhania and a probe is on.

New Delhi:

In the 24-page note prepared by AI engineer Atul Subhash before he died by suicide, he detailed two alleged conversations with his wife Nikita Singhania and mother-in-law Nisha Singhania that drove him to the edge. In one of them, he alleged, his mother-in-law asked, “You haven’t died by suicide yet? I thought I would get the news today.”

The two conversations that the 34-year-old described as “instigation for suicide” took place at the Jaunpur family court where the couple’s divorce proceedings were on.

The first exchange, dated March 21 this year, was inside the judge’s room. When the judge asked Atul and Nikita why they were not settling the case, he replied, “Ma’am, they first demanded Rs 1 crore, after your interim maintenance order, they are asking for Rs 3 crore.”

According to Atul’s note, the judge replied, “You must have Rs 3 crore. That’s why they are asking.”

“Ma’am, please see the petition, the allegations they have levelled against me and my family. So many cases… They are not letting me meet my child. She left home of her own accord. She is harassing me and my family. I have to come from Bengaluru to Jaunpur,” Atul told the judge. The judge then said, “So what if she has filed cases, she is your wife.”

Atul’s note said that he then raised suicide by men due to false cases filed under laws protecting women from cruelty by husbands and their relatives. “Ma’am, if you see the NCRB data, lakhs of men are dying by suicide due to false cases.”

Atul alleged that Nikita, at this point, told him, “So why don’t you die by suicide?” The judge laughed at this and asked her to leave the room. After she left, Atul alleges, the judge asked him to settle the cases against him and his family and demanded Rs 5 lakh. When he said he did not have the money, but evidence against his wife, the judge allegedly asked him to leave.

The second exchange described as “instigation of suicide” occurred on April 10. Outside the courtroom, Atul alleged, his mother-in-law Nisha Singhania asked him, “You did not die by suicide yet? I thought I would get news of your suicide today. You told judge you would die by suicide.”

Atul replied, “How would you all party if I die?” Nisha Singhania allegedly replied with a smile, “Your father will pay. Everything owned by the husband belongs to the wife. After you die, your parents will die soon. The daughter-in-law has her share. Your whole family will make the rounds of court.”

Atul has said he was “frustrated” after the exchanges and “understood that I have become the very source of all the evil”. “The more I work hard and become better at my work, the more I and my family will be harassed and extorted and the whole legal system will encourage and help my harassers. It seems that Devi Saraswati herself made my mother-in-law disclose her plans and the solution of all the problems too. This incident along with instigation to commit suicide from my wife Nikita Singhania and the face of the laughing Judge Rita Kaushik mocking my helplessness has rendered my faith in legal system destroyed and has prompted my action of committing suicide. Now, with me gone, there won’t be any money and there won’t be any reason to harass my old parents and my brother. I may have destroyed my body but it has saved everything I believe in.”

Following his death by suicide at his Bengaluru home on Monday, his brother Bikas Kumar filed an abetment to suicide complaint. Bengaluru Police have registered a case and a probe is on.

Atul’s family has said he was under severe stress due to the long legal fight and had to travel from Bengaluru to Jaunpur as many as 40 times since the divorce proceedings began.

In his suicide note, Atul also criticised the justice system and said it was unfairly tilted to favour women. He has also left a letter addressed to his four-year-old son, asking him not to trust the “system”. The letter also has advice many may find problematic and sexist, apparently reflecting Atul’s distress.

Besides Nikita Singhania. her mother Nisha, brother Anurag and uncle Sushil Singhania are accused in the abetment to suicide case. While Nisha, her mother and her brother have not directly responded to the allegations yet, her uncle Sushil Singhania has said, “I came to know from media reports that I have been named in the FIR. But I have no connection with this. The (divorce) case proceedings have been on for the past three years. Now suddenly this has happened. Our family is not guilty. The court will deliver its judgment.

“Subhash’s allegations are baseless. Nikita is not here. Once she returns, she will respond to everything. She has an answer to every allegation they have made. I live separately. I am her uncle, but I don’t have much information about the case. They have been handling it,” he said.

Nikita’s lawyer has said the couple’s relationship fell apart due to interference from Atul’s family. “They wanted to separate and mediation proceedings were on,” lawyer Sanjiv Singh has said.

The allegations levelled by Atul Subhash in his suicide note are baseless and Nikita Singhania, his estranged wife, has all the answers, Nikita’s uncle Sushil Singhania has said. Sushil Singhania is an accused in the abetment to suicide case registered by Atul’s brother in Bengaluru. Police have said they have sent a team to Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur to question Nikita, her mother Nisha, brother Anurag and uncle Sushil.

In what is the Singhanias’ first response to the massive row triggered by Atul Subhash’s death by suicide and his allegations of harassment against Nikita and her family members, 70-year-old Sushil Singhania said, “I came to know from media reports that I have been named in the FIR. But I have no connection with this. The (divorce) case proceedings have been on for the past three years. Now suddenly this has happened. Our family is not guilty. The court will deliver its judgment.”

“Subhash’s allegations are baseless. Nikita is not here. Once she returns, she will respond to everything. She has an answer to every allegation they have made. I live separately. I am her uncle, but I don’t have much information about the case. They have been handling it,” he said.

This afternoon, a police team reached the Singhanias’ home in Jaunpur, creating an uproar in the area. A police officer said they had just come to ensure the family’s security. They denied any knowledge of Bengaluru police coming to Jaunpur.

Atul Subhash, a 34-year-old techie, was found dead at his Bengaluru home on Monday morning. A ‘justice is due’ placard and a 24-page suicide note was found in his room. The note accused Nikita and her family members of harassing him during the divorce case proceedings to make him pay huge amounts as maintenance and alimony.

Atul’s brother Bikas Kumar has said in his complaint to the police that Atul has detailed in his suicide note how he was being mentally and physically harassed and extorted by the accused.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Whitefield, Shivakumar told news agency ANI, “Atul Subhash committed suicide during the early hours of 9th of December. A complaint has been lodged at the Marathahalli police station in Bengaluru regarding this. Multiple cases were running against him in Uttar Pradesh. His wife and her family members demanded money from him to settle this issue and harassed him. For those reasons, he died by suicide. Based on this complaint, we registered an FIR against the accused. An investigation is underway.”

In an 81-minute video he recorded before dying by suicide, Atul Subhash said he married in 2019 after finding Nikita on a matchmaking website. The couple had a son the next year. He has alleged that his wife’s family would repeatedly demand money running into several lakhs. When he refused to give more money, his wife left the Bengaluru home with their son in 2021.

The next year, Atul wrote in the note, Nikita filed a case against him and his family under multiple sections, including murder and unnatural sex. She alleged that he demanded a dowry of Rs 10 lakh and this put pressure on her father and he died of a heart attack. “This is some poor Bollywood plot. She has already confessed that her father was suffering from long term illness in her cross examination. Her father was getting treated from AIIMS for the last 10 years for heart disease, diabetes etc. Doctors gave him few months and hence we got married quickly,” he has said. This case, he said, was subsequently withdrawn.

Atul has said that his wife and her family first demanded Rs 1 crore to settle the case, but later hiked this to Rs 3 crore. He has detailed a court exchange in which he said that when he told the judge that men are dying by suicide due to false cases, his wife replied, “Then why don’t you?” At this, he said, the judge laughed and asked her to leave the room. Atul has also alleged that the judge said he “must think about his family” and demanded Rs 5 lakh to “settle the case”.

The 34-year-old’s suicide note has strong remarks on the justice system, especially its handling of marital disputes. Raging against the law dealing with such cases, Atul wrote in his suicide note, “The more I work hard and become better at my work, the more I and my family will be harassed and extorted and the whole legal system will encourage and help my harassers… Now, with me gone, there won’t be any money and there won’t be any reason to harass my old parents and my brother. I may have destroyed my body but it has saved everything I believe in.”