Bengaluru techie suicide: Supreme Court grants custody of Atul Subhash's son to estranged wife Nikita Singhania

Atul Subhash, originally from Uttar Pradesh and residing in Bengaluru’s Munnekollal area, was found dead in his apartment on December 9 last year.

In Bengaluru-based techie Atul Subhash’s suicide case, the Supreme Court on Monday decided to grant custody of his minor son to his estranged wife, Nikita Singhania, despite serious allegations against her.

Police released a picture of Atul Subhash's wife and her family after their arrest.

The ruling was delivered by a bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and S C Sharma, who denied the plea of Subhash’s mother, Anju Devi, to take custody of the child, Indian Express reported. The court emphasized the best interests of the child, currently enrolled in a boarding school in Haryana, and stated that Anju Devi lacked sufficient familiarity with her grandson to assume guardianship.

The court interacted with the child privately through an online session before reaching its conclusion. Justice Nagarathna highlighted the importance of maintaining stability in the child’s life and dismissed Anju Devi’s contention that a boarding school environment was unsuitable, the report added.

During the hearing, according to the publication, the bench also requested updates from the Haryana government and Singhania about the child’s condition and upbringing. However, Anju Devi’s request for additional time to present her case was declined.

Case background

Atul Subhash, originally from Uttar Pradesh and residing in Bengaluru’s Munnekollal area, was found dead in his apartment on December 9 last year. Subhash, who married Singhania in 2019, had been living separately following their strained relationship.

He also left behind a detailed 24-page note and an 81-minute video, where he accused his wife and her family of harassment, alleging that they demanded significant sums of money to settle ongoing legal disputes. He also alleged bias in legal proceedings, claiming a family court judge in Uttar Pradesh favored his in-laws.

Following a complaint by Subhash’s brother, Bikas Kumar, the Marathahalli police charged Singhania, her mother Nisha Singhania, her brother Anurag, and her uncle Sushil with abetment to suicide. The accusations included demands for ₹3 crore to withdraw cases and ₹30 lakh to allow Subhash visitation rights with his son.

On December 15, Nikita was arrested in Gurugram, Haryana, while her mother and brother were apprehended in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. The trio was granted bail by a Bengaluru court on January 4.