‘Every law favours women, not men. My brother fought this imbalance but tragically left us seeking justice.’
Atul Subhash, a Deputy General Manager at Mahindra and Mahindra in Bengaluru, tragically died by suicide earlier this week. He left behind a 24-page suicide note that has garnered national attention and sparked a debate on the potential misuse of dowry laws. Atul’s brother, Bikash Kumar, in a conversation with The Sunday Guardian, urged the Supreme Court of India to take suo motu cognizance of his brother’s case and ensure justice is served. He mentioned that Atul had also written to the President of India seeking justice and reiterated his own appeal to the President, Prime Minister, and Home Minister Amit Shah to act against those responsible for his brother’s death. Bikash further requested Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take action against the judge named in Atul’s suicide note and ensure justice is delivered.
He stated, “In India, every law seems to favor women, not men. My brother fought against this imbalance, but he ultimately left us. My brother did everything for her, but what happened was tragic. If he had confided in me or our father, we would have helped him through this. I appeal to the government and the President of India to ensure justice for my brother if he was right. If not, show me evidence to prove otherwise. There must be a thorough investigation into the judge mentioned in my brother’s suicide note.”
Atul’s father also spoke to the newspaper, alleging that Atul’s wife had misused the law against their family. He revealed that Nikita had filed 11 cases against Atul and his family, which left his son mentally exhausted and ultimately drove him to take his own life.
Following Atul’s death, his brother, Bikash Kumar, filed a complaint against Atul’s wife, Nikita Singhania, along with her mother, Nisha Singhania, brother, Anurag Singhania, and uncle, Sushil Singhania. The complaint alleges that they subjected Atul to mental harassment and torture, which ultimately drove him to take his own life.
A senior police officer confirmed that Nikita and her family members will be questioned. An FIR has been registered under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) and Section 3(5) (joint criminal liability for common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The tragic death of Atul has ignited widespread outrage on social media, with many users demanding that Accenture terminate the employment of Nikita Singhania, an AI/ML Specialist at the company. In response to the mounting backlash, Accenture locked its official account on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week. Additionally, Accenture’s CEO, Julie Sweet, has also restricted access to her X profile.
Attempts by The Sunday Guardian to reach out to Accenture for a comment went unanswered. They sought clarification on whether Accenture was aware of an FIR filed against one of its employees, Nitika Singhania, related to the abetment of her husband’s suicide, and whether the company had initiated any action on this matter.
In a show of solidarity with Atul, around 100 IT employees held a candlelight vigil outside Accenture’s Bengaluru office in Bellandur’s Ecospace Business Park on December 12. Reports also indicate that posters calling for justice for Atul were widely circulated among tech professionals, urging them to gather at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, as well as outside Accenture offices in Kolkata and Hyderabad.
Atul’s wife, Nikita Singhania, is a resident of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, where she lives with her mother and brother, Anurag. On the night of December 11, Nikita’s mother and brother were seen fleeing their home, an incident captured on camera by media personnel. On December 13, Bengaluru police visited Nikita’s house in Jaunpur, only to find it locked. They then proceeded to her in-laws’ house, which was also locked. Notices have been pasted outside both residences, summoning Nikita, her mother, and her brother to appear at the Bengaluru police station.
Meanwhile, Nikita’s uncle, Sushil Singhania, told the media, “I learned from the news that my name is mentioned in the FIR, but I was not in Bengaluru and have no connection to the case. The case has been in court for three years, and during this time, I had no contact with Atul or his family. Our family is not at fault, and the court will decide the matter.”
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand stated during a press conference on December 13 that two teams have been formed to investigate the case. One team is working in Jaunpur, while the other is conducting investigations in Bengaluru. The police are analyzing evidence collected from the scene and information provided by Atul’s brother, Bikash.
Earlier this week, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Whitefield, Shivakumar, confirmed that Bengaluru-based tech professional Atul Subhash died by suicide. The DCP stated, “Atul Subhash took his own life during the early hours of December 9th. A complaint was filed at the Marathahalli police station in Bengaluru regarding this incident. He also had multiple cases pending against him in Uttar Pradesh.”
The DCP added, “His wife and her family demanded money to resolve these cases and subjected him to harassment. As a result, he died by suicide. Based on the complaint, we have registered an FIR against the accused, and the investigation is ongoing.”
According to the complaint filed by Atul’s brother, Bikash Kumar, the FIR notes that Atul married Nikita Singhania in 2019, and the couple had a child together. The complaint alleges that following their divorce, the accused filed false cases against Atul and demanded Rs. 3 crore for settling these matters. Additionally, the complaint claims that Nikita demanded Rs. 30 lakh to allow Atul to visit his four-year-old son. It further states that mental and physical harassment by the accused drove Atul to suicide. An FIR has been registered, and investigations are in progress.
Advocate Awadhesh Tiwari from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, spoke to the media about the case and stated, “We received information on December 9 that Atul Subhash died by suicide. Allegations have been made against his wife, her mother, uncle, and brother.” He explained, “Several cases were filed against Atul by his wife, including a maintenance case, which I was handling. In addition, there were dowry and assault cases being managed by other lawyers. Atul Subhash, originally from Samastipur, Bihar, was living in Bengaluru for work and had contacted me for legal assistance. He and his family were facing charges related to dowry and assault filed by his wife.”
The lawyer further added, “In July 2024, the court ruled on the maintenance case, initially setting an amount of Rs. 20,000 per month for his son, which was later increased to Rs. 40,000. The wife had requested additional amounts from the court, but those requests were denied.”
Notably, Atul Subhash left behind a 24-page suicide note detailing his suffering and a video message lasting 81 minutes. In the video, he wore a board around his neck that read “Justice is Due.” His note alleged corruption involving a family court judge in Uttar Pradesh who, according to him, favored his in-laws. Throughout the note, he repeatedly wrote “Justice is Due” on each page.
In addition to accusing his wife and her family, Subhash accused a family court judge in Jaunpur of ignoring his pleas and claimed that a court officer accepted bribes openly in front of the judge. The note outlined the events that led to his decision to take his own life.
Subhash’s video also appealed to his family, asking them not to immerse his ashes until justice was achieved. The note included a heartfelt message to his four-year-old son, whom he said was kept away from him. He requested that his parents be granted custody of the child.
Before his death, Subhash shared his note and the video link in a WhatsApp group of an NGO he was associated with. He alleged that his wife had filed nine cases against him, including charges of murder, sexual misconduct, financial harassment, domestic violence, and dowry demands.
In an interaction with The Sunday Guardian, senior Supreme Court advocate Seema Sindhu described the case as a “gross misuse of law,” emphasizing that false charges and harassment from his wife and in-laws led to the victim’s tragic death.
She stated, “Dowry laws were created to protect women, but their misuse undermines justice for those who genuinely need protection. While domestic violence, cruelty, and dowry prohibition laws aim to safeguard women from harassment in marriage, some wives are blatantly misusing these laws. I am not suggesting that marital issues don’t exist, but often, the real cause of these complaints is not dowry or cruelty. Instead, these laws are misused to settle personal scores or to delay divorce proceedings and pressure husbands into agreeing to unreasonable alimony demands.”
Seema Sindhu further noted, “Society has evolved significantly, and these laws have become outdated. There needs to be parity between husbands and wives in marriage. Divorce laws also need to be relaxed. Currently, obtaining a divorce is nearly impossible without mutual consent. We should introduce provisions for annulment at the request of one spouse. Additionally, there should be a community of property within marriage, where both the husband’s and wife’s assets and income are pooled together. It’s time for laws to be gender-neutral, reflecting the fact that many women today are educated and employed.”
WITH INPUT SHAKTI SINGH SENIOR CORESPONDENT INDIA NEWS