A Bengaluru court granted bail on Saturday to Nikita Singhania, the wife of techie Atul Subhash, and her family members, Nisha Singhania (Atul’s mother-in-law) and Anurag Singhania (his brother-in-law), who had been arrested on charges of abetting his suicide. Atul Subhash tragically died by suicide on December 9, leaving behind a heart-wrenching 24-page death note in which he accused his wife and her family of sustained emotional and mental harassment. He described a pattern of mistreatment, including false legal cases, physical and emotional abuse, and “persistent torture,” leading to his eventual despair.
The decision to grant bail followed the submission of a petition by the accused, who had previously approached Bengaluru’s City Civil Court for relief. In response to their request, the Karnataka High Court had instructed the session court to expedite the resolution of the petition, which was promptly dealt with on that day. The accused are now out on bail, pending further investigation and legal proceedings.
This decision has been met with strong opposition from Atul Subhash's family, particularly from his brother, Vikas Modi, who has expressed dissatisfaction with the court’s ruling. Modi emphasized that one of the key objections to granting bail was that the investigation was still in its early stages and was far from complete. He also highlighted that many crucial questions regarding the case remain unanswered, including potential gaps in the investigation into the extent of the harassment Atul had endured. Vikas Modi vowed to continue seeking justice for his brother and indicated that the family would approach the High Court and, if necessary, the Supreme Court for further relief in this matter.
The trio of accused—Nikita, Nisha, and Anurag—were arrested in mid-December, days after Atul Subhash’s tragic death. Nikita Singhania was apprehended from Gurugram on December 14, while her mother and brother were taken into custody in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Following their arrests, they were brought to Bengaluru and remanded into judicial custody for 14 days after being presented before the court. Atul, an Artificial Intelligence engineer, had left behind a chilling video and a suicide note, which shed light on his emotional struggles. In his suicide note, Atul described the mistreatment he had faced, which included a claim that his wife and in-laws had manipulated the legal system against him, filing false cases that exacerbated his distress.
In his final moments, Atul Subhash uploaded a deeply emotional and controversial 81-minute video to X (formerly Twitter), where he detailed his personal agony. The video, titled “This ATM is closed permanently. A legal genocide is happening in India,” was addressed to several prominent figures, including Elon Musk and Donald Trump, pleading for awareness of what he referred to as a “legal genocide” against men in India. He tweeted, “I will be dead when you will read this,” clearly expressing his intent to take his own life as a result of his unbearable emotional distress. Atul also blamed the Indian legal system for perpetuating the suffering of men, making it harder for them to seek justice in the face of domestic issues.
Nikita Singhania, however, denied the accusations of harassment and mistreatment when questioned by police. She claimed that she and Atul had been living separately for nearly three years, indicating that their marital issues were longstanding and not solely a result of the actions of her family. Her statements contradicted the contents of Atul's death note, which painted a very different picture of their relationship.
Meanwhile, Atul’s father has also raised concerns over the whereabouts of his grandchildren, requesting intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The distraught father has expressed fear for the safety of the children, claiming that their whereabouts are unknown and raising the possibility that they might be at risk. “We don’t know where she has kept our grandson. Has he been killed, or is he alive? We don’t know anything about him. I want my grandson to be with us,” he said in an emotional plea. This has added another layer of distress to an already tragic situation, as Atul’s family remains in the dark about the children’s safety.
Atul Subhash's death has drawn attention to a variety of broader social issues, particularly the concerns surrounding the treatment of men in marital disputes and legal matters in India. His final messages and the details in his death note have sparked discussions on the need for greater support systems for individuals facing emotional and psychological strain, as well as reforms in the legal system to ensure that both men and women receive fair treatment in cases of domestic conflict. His story has also raised alarms about the potential dangers of untreated mental health issues, which may go unnoticed until a tragedy occurs. The case remains under investigation, with many hoping that the legal process will eventually provide the answers and justice that Atul Subhash’s family is desperately seeking.
Atul’s death, his family’s calls for justice, and the controversial circumstances surrounding his suicide have highlighted the emotional toll of marital conflict, the possible abuse of legal mechanisms, and the dire consequences when individuals feel isolated and unheard. The legal proceedings are ongoing, and both his family and the public are anxiously awaiting further developments, hoping that his death will lead to changes in how such cases are handled in India.
