Atul Subhash (1990 – died ) was a software engineer and

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professional from

Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, who was found dead in his apartment at

Marathahalli Marathahalli is an eastern suburb of Bangalore city in Karnataka state of India. The ISRO Headquarters is located near Marathahalli. The Marathahalli main road is connected to Whitefield, ITPL and the Outer Ring Road, Bangalore. Connecti ...

, having died by suicide by hanging. The incident sparked discussions about various issues related to matrimonial disputes in

, including the country's dowry laws, the

judicial system The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

, and mental health.

Background

Marriage and divorce

Subhash was originally from

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

and was involved in a

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...

and custody dispute with his estranged wife, Nikita Singhania. The couple, married in 2019, lived separately for three years, and had a four-year-old son together. Allegations of

harassment Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, and it is characteristically identified by its unlikelihood in terms of social and ...

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...

, and financial demands marked the divorce proceedings. Before his death, Subhash left behind a 24-page document and an 81minute video recording. In these documents, he expressed his concerns and grievances regarding his divorce and custody case.

Court proceedings

Subhash's note contained allegations that his in-laws had requested a settlement of ₹30million (approximately $350,000 US dollars) as part of the divorce proceedings. He was denied visitation rights to see his son unless he complied with these financial demands. The legal proceedings included multiple accusations against him, including

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

and dowry harassment. He also stated that the legal system, that it was biased, particularly Section498A of the

Indian Penal Code The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was the official criminal code of the Republic of India, inherited from British India after independence. It remained in force until it was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in December 2023 ...

, which aims to protect women from domestic violence and dowry-related harassment. He also accused the Jaunpur District Court judge, Reeta Kaushik, of asking for a 5lakh bribe to settle the case, and taunting him into committing suicide when he refused.

Aftermath

Subhash left behind a

suicide note A suicide note or death note is a message written by a person who intends to die by suicide. A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depend on ethnic ...

titled "''This ATM has been closed permanently''", which became a rally cry for victims of the Legal System in India, and allowed them to seek help from human rights organizations such as Save Indian Family Foundation. The death of Subhash led to widespread discussion and debate about the rights of men in India. Some advocates argued that reforms are needed in the family law system, citing concerns about potential misuse of existing laws. A police investigation was conducted, and Singhania and several family members were charged under (IPC) related to abetment to suicide. The Bengaluru Court granted them bail in December 2024. Atul's case also resulted in attention to various similar men who committed suicides after judicial abuse, such as Suresh Sathadiya, Nitin Padiyar, and Puneet Khurana.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Subhash, Atul, Suicide of 2020s crimes in India 2020s in Bengaluru 2020s in Karnataka 2024 in women's history 2024 deaths 21st century in Bengaluru 2024 in India 2024 in Internet culture 2024 suicides 21st-century Indian engineers Bullying and suicide Controversies in India Crime in Bengaluru Crime in Karnataka Deaths by person in India December 2024 in India Discrimination in India History of women in India Indian computer programmers Internet-related activism Male suicides People from Bengaluru Software engineers Suicide and the Internet Suicides by hanging in India Suicides in India Text messaging Violence against men in India 2024 controversies Arranged marriage Domestic violence in India Fathers' rights movement

Background

Marriage and divorce

Court proceedings

Aftermath

See also

References