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Ms Singhania told the court the boy was a student of a boarding school in Haryana’s Faridabad, and that he would be withdrawn to accompany his mother to Bengaluru.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

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Atul Subhash died by suicide on December 9.

In a recent ruling in X v. State of Telangana & Another, the Supreme Court of India made some shocking remarks. Justices B. Nagarathna and Kotiswar Singh stated that there is a “growing tendency” for women to misuse Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)—a provision designed to protect women from cruelty in marriage—by using it as a tool for personal vendetta against their husbands and in-laws. While the judges clarified that women who have suffered cruelty should not remain silent, their observations risk perpetuating harmful stereotypes about women misusing the legal system.

In the said case, a woman filed an FIR in February 2022 alleging cruelty under Section 498A and dowry harassment under the Dowry Prohibition Act. The accused included not just her husband but also six members of his family. While the High Court rejected the husband’s plea to quash the FIR, it restricted arrests until the charge sheet was filed, as per established legal guidelines (Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar). However, the Supreme Court quashed the FIR against the husband and in-laws, citing she made vague and unsubstantiated allegations.

Police Efficiency vs Victim’s Intent

What is concerning is the broader narrative these remarks create. Based on decades of experience working with domestic violence survivors, we know that vague and omnibus allegations in FIRs are often a reflection of police inefficiency rather than the victim’s intent. Women frequently face insensitivity at police stations, where complaints are either dismissed outright or recorded haphazardly. Instead of holding the police accountable for poorly recorded statements, the Supreme Court appears to place the burden on the victim, suggesting that she should ensure her complaint is detailed and precise—a near-impossible expectation in a hostile system.

The Court also made troubling inferences about the absence of earlier complaints by the victim. The justices noted that she married in 2015 and had two children in 2016 and 2017, concluding that there was likely no harassment during this period. This assumption is not only baseless but ignores the reality that many women delay filing complaints due to societal pressure, lack of resources, or repeated attempts by authorities to counsel them into “settling” the matter. The absence of prior legal action cannot and should not be equated with an absence of violence.

The judges highlighted that the victim “abandoned” her two children, who remain in her husband’s custody. This assumption, too, is problematic. Women often face insurmountable barriers to seeking custody, including financial constraints, lack of legal support, and societal stigma. The Court could have considered the possibility that the victim was denied access to her children or made a painful choice to prioritise their stability.

Little Scrutiny Of Letter

Another aspect of the judgment raises serious concerns. The Court referred to a letter the victim allegedly wrote to the police in 2021, admitting she had left her matrimonial home after a quarrel about chatting with another man and promising not to “repeat such acts”. This letter, produced by her husband, was accepted at face value. Yet, anyone familiar with how women are pressured during “counselling” sessions at police stations knows the level of coercion they face. It is alarming that the Court did not scrutinise the circumstances under which this letter was written, especially in a case involving allegations of domestic violence.

Equally disquieting is the Court’s dismissal of the dowry allegations. Despite the victim’s claims of substantial dowry given at the time of marriage, the judges chose to focus on procedural issues and vague allegations rather than allowing the trial to proceed. By doing so, they missed an opportunity to reinforce the illegality of dowry—a deeply entrenched crime that claims the lives of 18 women every day in India, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (2022).

The judgment also framed the FIR as a retaliatory measure, filed after the husband sought a mutual consent divorce. This conclusion overlooks the reality that women often endure violence for years before taking legal action, with divorce threats serving as the final trigger. By framing her complaint as vengeful, the Court risks further discouraging women from seeking legal recourse.

Perhaps most glaringly, the victim was neither present nor represented during the proceedings. Given the systemic hurdles women face in accessing legal support, the Court could have ensured that she had the resources to present her case. Instead, it delivered a judgment that not only undermines her claims but also sets a dangerous precedent for future cases.

Justice Krishna Iyer once said, “A socially sensitised judge is a better statutory armour against gender outrage than long clauses of a complex statute.” Sadly, this case illustrates how far we still are from achieving such sensitivity in our judiciary.

How 498A Is Consistently Undermined

Section 498A, enacted nearly 40 years ago, remains an essential legal safeguard against domestic violence. Yet, its effectiveness is consistently undermined by narratives of misuse, despite overwhelming evidence of the prevalence of domestic violence in India. The National Family Health Survey (2019–20) found that 30% of women aged 18–49 had experienced physical violence since the age of 15—a staggering figure that translates to over 200 million women.

The growing trend of casual and contradictory statements made by Supreme Court judges regarding domestic violence must be addressed without delay. These remarks have a direct and significant impact on how both the police and judiciary respond to cases on the ground, potentially undermining efforts to protect victims and deliver justice. The judiciary must speak with greater compassion recognising the systemic barriers that prevent women from seeking justice.

(Audrey D’mello is the Director of Majlis, and Flavia Agnes is a legal scholar and women’s rights lawyer. Majlis offers legal counselling to women and children facing sexual and domestic violence. For help, call 07506732641.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the authors

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:

Nikita Singhania, the estranged wife of 34-year-old techie Atul Subhash, changed her location every day, made calls only on WhatsApp and constantly tried to secure anticipatory bail after Atul’s family filed a suicide abetment case against her. But one phone call gave her away and Bengaluru police tracked her down to Gurugram, police sources have told news agency IANS.

While Nikita was arrested from Gurugram, her mother Nisha Singhania and brother Anurag Singhania were taken into custody from Prayagraj. Nikita’s uncle Sushil Singhania, the fourth accused in the suicide abetment case, is on the run. The four have been remanded in judicial custody for two weeks.

According to police sources, the accused had locked up their home in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur soon after Bengaluru police registered the case against them. When Bengaluru police personnel reached Jaunpur, they pasted notices on the Singhanias’ home, asking them to appear within three days. The team also made a list of the family’s close relatives and monitored them. But the accused, the sources said, made calls only on WhatsApp and it was difficult to track them.

In the meantime, the Singhania approached the Allahabad High Court for anticipatory bail.

One Call, One Mistake

While Nikita moved to a PG accommodation in Gurugram, her mother and brother hid in Jhusi town in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district. During this time, they all communicated with relatives via WhatsApp calls. But, Nikita made one call, apparently by mistake, to one of her close relatives. Police tracked the tower location and reached the PG accommodation in Gurugram’s Rail Vihar, the sources said. She was detained and made to make a call to her mother. When Nisha Singhania received the call, police tracked them to Jhusi town and took them into custody.

Cops faced a big question. Where will Atul’s four-year-old son stay? The child was entrusted to one of the family’s relatives. The police recorded the accused’s statements during the transit to Bengaluru.

A Cautious Late-Night Flight

Police sources said a key challenge was to ensure that co-passengers did not recognise Nikita during the journey. The three were taken to Bengaluru on a late night flight. Police sources said they were extra cautious in ensuring that the news of their detention was not out before the team reached Bengaluru. This was because of the outrage sparked by Atul Subhash’s death. Any news of Nikita and her family being taken to Bengaluru may have led to dangerous situations at the airport or elsewhere.

Once in Bengaluru, Nikita, her mother Nisha and brother Anurag were taken for medical examination and then to the magistrate’s residence in the early hours before being sent to prison.

What Nikita Has Told Police

According to police sources, Nikita has said during interrogation that she never harassed Atul and was, in fact, harassed by him. She also said that she wouldn’t have left their home if she wanted money. Atul Subhash, in his 24-page suicide note and 80-minute video, has accused Nikita and her family of filing false cases of cruelty and dowry harassment against him and his family to extort money from them. He has said she had demanded a huge sum of Rs 3 crore to settle the case.

Atul Subhash was found dead last Monday at his Bengaluru residence. Following a complaint by his brother Bikas Kumar, police filed an abetment to suicide case. His family has also said they want custody of the child.

According to preliminary investigation, Atul had planned to die by suicide 15 days before his death. He had searched about legal issues on Google and written the note three days before his death.

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. 

Bengaluru:

The father of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash who died by suicide, said his son had been “broken from inside” after multiple cases were filed against him and his family by his wife.

Atul Subhash, the 34-year-old deputy general manager of a private firm, died by suicide on Monday in his Bengaluru apartment, leaving behind a 24-page suicide note, accusing his wife and her relatives of harassment. In his suicide note, he also alleged that a judge had demanded Rs 5 lakh to “settle” the case.

“My son used to say that there is a lot of corruption but he will fight as he is on the path of truth…He was broken from inside, though he didn’t tell anyone anything,” Subhash’s father Pawan Kumar told ANI.

Mr Kumar, who currently stays in Bihar’s Samastipur, said Subhash’s wife started filing cases against them in January 2021.

“She started filing cases since January 2021…My son had thought that she had left (their home) after Corona and that their 1-year-old son would grow up a little at his maternal uncle’s home… she also started filing cases against our entire family,” the father said.

Earlier, a four-member team of Bengaluru Police, including one woman police personnel reached Kotwali in Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh. Jaunpur is the residence of Subhash’s in-laws.

The father has alleged that the judge overseeing the case also asked for Rs 5 lakhs to “settle the case”.

“When they went ahead for mediation, it began from Rs 20,000 and then escalated to Rs 40,000; then the judge said that if he (the deceased) wants a settlement, he should give Rs 5 Lakh,” the father said.

Meanwhile, the brother of the deceased, Vikas, said his family had “no idea” that the Bengaluru techie would take such a drastic step.

“We talked to him normally. We had no idea he had decided to take such a step. We had never felt he was going to take such a step. I am in touch with a few of his friends and even they didn’t have any idea of his thoughts,” the brother said.

The brother also alleged that there had been “false cases” filed on him and his family too, saying that his brother had been mentally tortured.

“False cases have been filed on me, and my parents, just like they were filed on my brother. Action should be taken against all those who mentally tortured my brother and filed false cases against him,” the brother said.

He further claimed that Atul Subhash also wrote to various leaders and institutes, including the President and the Supreme Court, explaining his situation in detail.

“If those emails have reached them, we hope action is taken and some laws, forums, or committees are made where men can go to seek justice… Laws and provisions made to empower women are today being misused,” the brother added.

Earlier on December 11, the SC also expressed concern over the growing tendency to misuse Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which penalises cruelty by husbands and their relatives against married women.

While quashing a Section 498A IPC case against a husband and his parents in a different case, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh said that the Section became a tool for unleashing personal vendetta against the husband and his family by a wife.

Atul Subhash died by suicide in the early hours of December 9 after alleging harassment from his wife and her family.

Subhash wrote “Justice is due” on every page of a 24-page note. He also alleged in his suicide note that his wife had filed nine cases against him under various sections, including murder, sexual misconduct, harassment for money, domestic violence, and dowry.

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

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.

Amid the outcry over Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash’s death by suicide over alleged harassment by his wife, Nikita Singhania, details have emerged of a complaint filed by her in 2022, alleging harassment and assault for dowry. Ms Singhania has alleged that he treated the husband-wife relationship “like a beast” and his family’s demand for dowry contributed to her father suffering a stroke and dying. 

In his 24-page suicide note, however, Subhash has replied to nearly every allegation made in the complaint.

Ms Singhania filed the complaint in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur – where her family lives – in April 2022 claiming she was harassed and assaulted for dowry. Subhash, his brother and their parents were named as accused. 

Apart from the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, the complaint also had charges like cruelty by husband or relatives, assault, and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code.

According to news agency PTI, Nikita said she got married to Subhash on April 26, 2019, and her husband and in-laws were dissatisfied with what her parents gave them during the wedding and demanded Rs 10 lakh more.

“(They) started torturing me physically and mentally for dowry. When I told my parents about the harassment and dowry, my parents explained to me that everything will be fine, listen and keep living with it. But no improvement of any kind came in my husband and in-laws,” she said in the complaint, according to the PTI report. 

“My husband started to beat me up after drinking alcohol and started treating the husband-wife relationship with me like a beast. He used to transfer my entire salary from my account to his account by threatening me,” she added.

In his suicide note, however, Subhash states that, according to Ms Singhania, he earned Rs 40 lakh a year as an Artificial Intelligence professional when she left the house in 2021 and Rs 80 lakh after that. He said her claim of his family asking for Rs 10 lakh was “laughable”.

“We demanded Rs 10 lakh dowry is the most laughable allegation. My wife has claimed that I had a CTC of Rs 40 lakhs when she left the house. My wife also claimed that I have a CTC of Rs 80 Lakhs later in the case. Why would a man making Rs 40 or 80 lakhs would ever demand Rs 10 lakhs and leave his wife and child (sic),” he wrote.

On the allegation of him beating his wife, the techie said she had never produced any evidence of this.

“I used to beat her up black and blue after getting drunk. A well built man like me, if decides to beat someone black and blue (sic), would leave a person with broken bones, bleeding and at least some marks. Why did she not produce any photo of it or anyone who is a witness ( we often had a house maid, cook etc),” he wrote in the note.

Father’s Death

In her complaint, Ms Singhania also claimed that, irritated by the words of her in-laws and because of their demand for dowry, her father’s health deteriorated suddenly and he suffered a stroke on August 17, 2019. She said he died during treatment. 

In his suicide note, Subhash called this a “poor Bollywood plot” and claimed her father had been undergoing treatment for diabetes and heart disease for 10 years. He said doctors had given Ms Singhania’s father a few months to live.

“Me and my family murdered her father by asking for dowry of Rs 10 lakhs and her father got 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 AlIMS for the last 10 years for heart disease, dlabetes etc. Doctors gave him a few months and hence we got married quickly after just a few months after getting connected (sic),” he wrote.

Nikita Singhani, her mother Nisha Singhania, brother Anurag Singhania and uncle Sushil Singhania have been charged with abetment of suicide after Atul Subhash died by suicide in his house in Bengaluru on Monday. 

In his note, Subhash had said he was dying by suicide because his wife and her relatives had filed a slew of false cases against him and his family and were trying to get him to pay Rs 2 lakh a month as maintenance for her and the couple’s four-year-old son.

“The more I work hard and become better at my work, the more l 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,” he wrote.