Atul Subhash

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Suicide of Atul Subhash
Date9 December 2024 (2024-12-09)
Location
TypeSuicide by hanging
CauseHarassment and judicial misconduct
Deaths1 (Atul Subhash)
Arrests3 (Estranged wife, her mother, and her brother)

Atul Subhash (25 January 1990[1] – 9 December 2024) was a software engineer and artificial intelligence professional from Bengaluru, India, who was found dead in his apartment at Marathahalli, having died by suicide by hanging.[2] The incident sparked discussions about various issues related to matrimonial disputes in India, regarding discrimination against men, dowry laws, the judicial system, and mental health awareness.[3]

Background

Marriage and divorce

Subhash was originally from Bihar[4] and was involved in a divorce and custody dispute with his estranged wife, Nikita Singhania.[5] The couple, married in 2019, lived separately for three years and had a four-year-old son together.[6] Allegations of harassment, extortion, and financial demands marked the divorce proceedings.[7]

Court proceedings

Subhash's note contained allegations that his in-laws had requested a settlement of ₹3 crore (US$310,000) and ₹30 lakh (US$31,000) for visitation rights to their son as part of the divorce proceedings and had asked to raise monthly maintenance from ₹40,000 (US$420) to ₹2 lakh (US$2,100).[8][9] Subhash was earning ₹84,000 (US$880) monthly and was asked to pay ₹40,000 (US$420) monthly amount towards his son in July 2024, but was not asked to compensate for his wife as she was earning well in Delhi.[10] Subhash did not approach his lawyer for appealing to lower the monthly maintenance since.[11] Subhash had to travel frequently from Bangalore to the court in Jaunpur which had no online conferencing option, since he was unable to change the location despite challenging it in court. At the time of his death, he had attended 120 hearings in 3 years and was facing 6 cases, including for domestic violence and dowry harassment.[12][13]

Suicide

On 9 December, Subhash was found dead in his apartment at Marathahalli, having died by suicide by hanging.[2] Before his death, Subhash left behind a 24-page document and an 81‑minute video recording. In these documents, he expressed his concerns and grievances regarding his divorce and custody case.[7] He stated that the legal system was biased, particularly Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, 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 5 lakh bribe to settle the case, and taunting him into committing suicide when he refused.[14]

A police investigation was conducted, and Singhania and several family members were charged under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to abetment to suicide.[15][16][17] The Bengaluru Court granted them bail in December 2024.[18][19]

Aftermath

Subhash left behind a suicide note 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 men's rights organizations such as the Save Indian Family Foundation.[12] The death of Subhash led to widespread discussion and debate about the rights of men in India.[20] Some advocates argued that reforms are needed in the family law system, citing concerns about potential misuse of existing laws.[21]

Subhash's case resulted in attention to various men who committed suicides after judicial abuse under similar circumstances, such as Suresh Sathadiya,[22] Nitin Padiyar,[23] and Puneet Khurana.[24] Supreme court has since released an 8 point factors to decide alimony amount and warned courts against misuse of relevant laws.[25][26]

Subhash's death also sparked backlash against feminism among men's rights activists and certain online commentators.[27] Subhash himself wrote a commentary on women empowerment and feminism in the letters he left behind, expressing paranoia and echoing misogynistic views such as views against abortion, DEI hiring of women in military and criminalization of marital rape.[28]

See also

References

  1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/atulsubhash/
  2. "Indian software engineer's suicide sets off reckoning over bias in family courts". South China Morning Post. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  3. "Atul Subhash: A man's suicide leads to clamour around India's dowry law". www.bbc.com. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  4. "Atul Subhash suicide: Supreme Court grants custody of late techie's son to wife Nikita Singhania". Financialexpress. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  5. "Techie Atul Subhash's Son To Stay With His Mother, Supreme Court Decides". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  6. "Who is Atul Subhash's wife?". The Times of India. 15 December 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  7. "Indian software engineer's suicide sets off reckoning over bias in family courts". South China Morning Post. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  8. "Atul Subhash: A man's suicide leads to clamour around India's dowry law". www.bbc.com. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  9. "Atul Subhash: A man's suicide leads to clamour around India's dowry law". www.bbc.com. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  10. "Judge 'laughed' when estranged wife told Bengaluru techie Atul to commit suicide". The Times of India. 13 December 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  11. "Bengaluru techie wasn't depressed, did not contest maintenance order: Lawyer". India Today. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  12. "'This ATM Is Closed Now': Harrowing Details Of Bengaluru Techie Atul Subhash's Life And Death". News18. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  13. "'Beat me up after drinking...': Atul Subhash's estranged wife accused him of harassment, abuse in police complaint". The Economic Times. 11 December 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  14. Sruti, Swastika (11 December 2024). "Who Is Rita Kaushik? District Court Judge Who Provoked Atul Subhash To Kill Himself". NewsX World. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  15. "Techie Atul Subhash suicide: Supreme Court allows his wife to have custody of minor son". The Tribune. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  16. "Atul Subhash suicide case: SC to hear plea by Bengaluru techie's mother seeking grandson's custody on January 20 | Today News". mint. 18 January 2025. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  17. "What Bengaluru police said on arrest of Atul Subash's wife in abetment to suicide case". Hindustan Times. 15 December 2024. Archived from the original on 25 December 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  18. "Atul Subhash death case: Bengaluru techie's wife and in-laws granted bail". The Hindu. 4 January 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  19. "Bengaluru court grants bail to techie Atul Subhash's wife, in-laws in abetment to suicide case". The Indian Express. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  20. "'Justice for Atul Subhash' rally held in Ahmedabad, seek gender-neutral laws". english.gujaratsamachar.com. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  21. "Atul Subhash suicide: Deeper problems of law and its implementation". The Week. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  22. Staff, Mashable News (6 January 2025). "Gujarat Man Commits Suicide, Wife Booked Over Accusations Made In Final Video; 'Teach Her A Lesson'". Mashable India. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  23. "Indore's Nitin Padiyar, 28, Allegedly Dies by Suicide, Cites Harassment by Ex-Wife & In-Laws in Note - The Logical Indian". thelogicalindian.com. 22 January 2025. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  24. "'Can't ask my parents to pay further': Like Atul Shubhash, here's what Puneet Khurana said in video before suicide". The Economic Times. 3 January 2025. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  25. "Atul Subhash suicide case: Supreme Court lists 8 factors to decide alimony amount - BusinessToday". Business Today. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  26. Bhargava, Ashish Kumar (11 December 2024). "Amid Atul Subhash Suicide Shocker, Supreme Court's Big Remark On Dowry Cases". NDTV.
  27. Chakraborthy, Antara (7 January 2026). "Misogyny as an Operational Strategy in India's Digital Extremism". VOX - Pol. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  28. Deb, Divya Aslesha & Abhik (18 December 2024). "What the uproar over Atul Subhash's death by suicide says about gender relations in India". Scroll.in. Retrieved 11 June 2026.