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The suicide note of an engineer created a social media storm, prompting the Bengaluru Police to register a case and launch an investigation into the allegations he levelled against his wife.
Initial investigations suggest that Bengaluru-based engineer Atul Subhash had been facing marital issues.
As the suicide of a Bengaluru engineer alleging harassment by his wife created a social media storm, the city police on Tuesday took cognisance of the suicide note and launched an investigation into the matter, officials said.
This comes after 34-year-old Atul Subhash, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, died by suicide at his Bengaluru apartment on Monday, leaving behind a 24-page note in which he accused his estranged wife and her family of harassment. He had also shot a 90-minute video of himself detailing his case.
The social media users came out in support of the deceased man and demanded justice for him.
The police have registered a case of abetment to suicide and started a probe in this regard.
Another case has been filed at the Marathahalli police station based on the complaint filed by Atul’s brother, Bikas Kumar, against four people including Atul’s wife Nikita Singhania, under sections 108 (Abetment of suicide) and 3(5) (When a criminal act is carried out by multiple persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The FIR has been filed against Nikita Singhania, her mother Nisha Singhania, brother Anurag Singhania and uncle Sushil Singhania. The police are likely to issue notices to all the accused asking them to appear for investigation.
According to the FIR, the accused filed false cases against Atul and demanded Rs 3 crore to settle the matter. The FIR also notes the allegation that Nikita was demanding ₹30 lakh for allowing Atul to meet their son.
According to the preliminary investigation, Atul was facing marital issues as his wife had filed numerous cases against him in Uttar Pradesh, which he talked about in the video shot just before his extreme step.
Before dying by suicide, he shared the note in a WhatsApp group of an NGO he was a part of. He also sent it to several others via email.
“My wife has registered nine cases against me. Six cases are in the lower court and three in the high court,” Sharma said in the recorded video.
He said that one of the cases was filed in 2022 against him, his parents, brother, slapping charges related to murder, dowry harassment, and unnatural sex. However, the wife later withdrew the case.
He said that during cross-examination, his wife conceded that the murder allegations she had previously leveled—claiming her father died because Sharma had demanded a substantial sum of money—were unfounded. She clarified that her father had passed away in 2019 after a prolonged struggle with chronic illnesses, including diabetes.
He also claimed that his wife had demanded a monthly maintenance of Rs 2 lakh for herself and their son.
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