Techie Atul Subhash’s estranged wife, in-laws arrested in suicide abetment case
Bengaluru Police on Sunday arrested the estranged wife of techie Atul Subhash, along with her mother and brother, in connection with his suicide.
Subhash, a 34-year-old software engineer, died by suicide on Monday, leaving behind a 24-page note and video accusing his wife and her family of harassment.
Subhash’s wife, Nikita Singhania, was arrested in Gurugram, while her mother, Nisha Singhania, and brother, Anurag Singhania, were detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. The arrests come after the Bengaluru City Police filed a case of abetment to suicide against Nikita and her family members.
The accused had earlier sought anticipatory bail from the Allahabad High Court. The applications were filed by Nikita, her mother, brother, and uncle, Sushil Singhania, following police summons issued on Friday, which required Nikita to appear before them within three days.
Nisha Singhania and her son Anurag had fled their home in UP’s Jaunpur on Thursday amid the investigation into Subhash’s suicide, PTI had reported, citing police officials.
In his suicide note, Atul Subhash, who was from Bihar but worked for a private firm in Bengaluru, detailed what he alleged was years of emotional distress because of marital disputes and multiple cases filed by his wife and her family.
Subhash claimed that his wife had filed false cases against him and demanded Rs 2 lakh per month in maintenance for herself and their four-year-old son. He said his wife, mother-in-law and his brother-in-law kept pressuring him to give them money and lavish gifts since early 2020.
He also levelled serious allegations against a family court judge in Uttar Pradesh, and said he was under severe stress due to frequent travel to Uttar Pradesh for court trials.
Amid nationwide outrage over the incident, details have emerged of Nikita’s 2022 police complaint alleging harassment and assault for dowry by her husband. In the complaint, Nikita alleged that after her marriage, Subhash and her in-laws demanded Rs 10 lakh more as dowry.
She also alleged that Subhash used to beat her up and started treating the husband-wife relationship “like a beast”, PTI reported.
Nikita and Subhash got married in 2019. While Subhash was based in Bengaluru, Nikita lived with their son in Delhi, where she worked for a multinational IT firm.