Atul Subhash's suicide: Family shares the truth – Read the full story

Atul Subhash, a 34-year-old tech worker from Bengaluru, sadly took his own life. He left behind a 24-page letter and a 90-minute video explaining why he made this decision. Atul worked in artificial intelligence and had been going through a lot of personal and legal problems. His family shared their sorrow, saying that Atul was very stressed because of the ongoing legal issues with his wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family.

What led to Atul's suicide?

Atul Subhash's parents said that their son had been through a lot of harassment and stress for years. They shared that Atul had to travel between Bengaluru and Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh at least 40 times for court hearings. His father explained that Atul was frustrated with how the family court worked, saying the court didn’t follow the law properly and that his wife’s demands were unfair.“He said the judge and others did not follow the law, did not even follow the guidelines of high courts and the Supreme Court,” said Atul’s father. “He must have travelled between Bengaluru and Jaunpur at least 40 times. So many charges; one case would finish, and she (the wife) would slap another. He was frustrated, but he did not show it to us.”

Atul's parents said he never let them feel the pain. His mother explained his suffering, saying, “They tortured my son; they tortured us too. But my son took everything upon himself. He endured everything; he did not let us suffer. He kept burning inside.” His death on Monday morning has caused immense sorrow in his family, especially after all the emotional hardship they went through.

Reason behind the case

Atul's suicide note talks about the ongoing abuse and harassment he faced from his wife and her family. He wrote that after marrying Nikita in 2019, they had a son the next year. Atul said that his wife’s family kept asking him for large amounts of money. When he refused to give them more money, his wife left him and their son in 2021.

Atul wrote in his note that his wife later filed multiple false cases against him and his family. He said, "She filed a case against me and my family under multiple sections, including murder and unnatural sex." She accused him of demanding a dowry of ₹10 lakh and claimed that her father’s death was a result of stress caused by these allegations. Atul pointed out that her father had been suffering from a long-term illness and had been under treatment at AIIMS for over 10 years. He wrote, “This is some poor Bollywood plot. She has already confessed that her father was suffering from long-term illness in her cross-examination.”

He further stated that his wife and her family initially demanded ₹1 crore to settle the case but later increased their demand to ₹3 crore. He also recalled a court exchange where his wife allegedly said, “Then why don’t you?” when Atul mentioned that men were dying by suicide due to false cases. Atul claimed that the judge laughed at the comment and then asked her to leave the room.

How did the legal system affect Atul?

In his note, Atul shared his frustration with the legal system. He explained that every time one case seemed to be over, another charge would be added against him. He felt that no matter how hard he tried, the system was unfair and not helping him.

Atul wrote, “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.” He explained that his struggle had become unbearable and that his death would stop further harassment of his elderly parents and brother. “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.”

His close friend Jackson, who spoke to ANI, emphasised that Atul was under immense stress but never seemed depressed. “In this particular video and the notes that he has made, it doesn't seem that he was depressed. It seems that he did it out of a sense of harassment that he was facing from the system,” said Jackson. He also pointed out that Atul felt the legal system was biased and was not helping men in family disputes.

How was the relationship between Atul and his wife?

Atul’s friend Jackson also gave more details about the relationship between Atul and his wife, Nikita. According to Jackson, the couple's relationship started to fall apart during the COVID-19 pandemic. Atul was looking after his wife and son when both of them were infected with COVID-19. Jackson explained, “During COVID, he was looking after his wife and son. His wife was also infected with COVID, and she had a lot of issues. So he went ahead to procure medicines for her, and she wasn't taking them on time. This created some friction that escalated into multiple issues, and then she left him along with the baby, and he could not see his son.”

What action is being taken now?

After Atul’s tragic death, his family has asked for justice. Atul’s brother, Bikas Kumar, has asked for a detailed investigation into the case and the actions of the judge mentioned in Atul’s suicide note."I want to request the government of India and the President that justice must be done to my brother if he is right. Otherwise, show me the proof that he is wrong," Bikas said.

The police in Bengaluru are looking into the case and have said they will go to Jaunpur to question Atul’s ex-wife and her family. However, when NDTV tried to contact the Singhania family for a comment, they refused to talk and said their lawyer would give a response.