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Techie’s wife and in-laws held for abetting suicide
Bengaluru police arrested the three people, including the wife of 34-year-old software engineer Atul Subhash, for abetment of suicide after the man was found dead earlier this week
Bengaluru police arrested the three people, including the wife of 34-year-old software engineer Atul Subhash, for abetment of suicide after the man was found dead earlier this week after leaving behind a detailed suicide note and video message in which he accused his estranged spouse and in-laws of harassment and extortion.
The arrests, conducted through multi-state coordination on December 14, include Subhash’s wife Nikita Singhania, who was detained in Gurugram, and her mother Visha and brother Anurag, who were apprehended in Prayagraj.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield division, Shiva Kumar confirmed the arrests in a press release: “In connection with the suicide case of Atul Subhash, aged 34, accused A1, Nikita Singhania, was arrested in Gurugram on the morning of December 12. Accused A2, Visha Singhania, and Accused A3, Anurag Singhania, were arrested in Allahabad on the morning of December 12.”
The accused have been charged under sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 3(5) (criminal acts with common intent) of the BNS.
According to the first information report filed at Marathahalli police station by Subhash’s brother Bikas Kumar, the Singhanias allegedly demanded ₹3 crore to withdraw legal cases against Subhash and an additional ₹30 lakh for granting him visitation rights to his son.
The case traces back to 2019 when Subhash, from Samastipur, Bihar, married Nikita after meeting her on a matchmaking website. The couple had a son in 2020, but their relationship deteriorated rapidly, leading to contentious divorce proceedings and a bitter custody dispute.
In 2022, Nikita filed a police complaint accusing Subhash of dowry harassment and assault. She alleged that his dissatisfaction with wedding gifts led to demands for ₹10 lakh, causing severe financial and emotional strain on her family. Nikita also claimed that Subhash’s behaviour contributed to her father’s stroke and subsequent death.
Subhash, in his suicide message, said the allegations were false and meant to coerce him to accept the alimony demand.
The Bengaluru police, working with their Uttar Pradesh counterparts, intensified their search after discovering that Nikita and Anurag had fled their residence in Jaunpur. Investigators pasted notices on their locked property while tracing their whereabouts through technical surveillance.
In the detailed suicide note recovered from Subhash’s apartment, each page began with the phrase “justice is due,” methodically outlining his grievances against Nikita and her family. The note, along with a video message recorded before his death, formed crucial evidence leading to the arrests after the family’s anticipatory bail petitions were denied.
Speaking to reporters in Samastipur, Subhash’s father Pawan Kumar demanded strict punishment for those responsible. “I thank Karnataka Police for arresting them. All those who harassed my son should be punished so that he gets justice and his soul rests in peace. I will not immerse his ashes till we get justice,” Kumar said, his voice breaking with emotion.
Kumar also expressed his desire for custody of his four-year-old grandson, citing his son’s wishes.
Home minister G Parameshwara called the suicide of Bengaluru techie an eye-opener on the state of men’s rights in the country. He said: “It’s a suicide. It has opened up a new discussion in the country. We always talk about women’s rights, but now this particular case has exposed the men’s rights and how weak the men’s rights system is.”
