Software engineer Atul Subhash’s suicide sparks gender-bias debate over India’s family courts
Atul Subhash blamed his estranged wife, her family, and the judicial system for his death, alleging extortion and manipulation of the legal system
“If I win from the system, devote my mortal remains to the Ganga [Ganges River]; otherwise, in a gutter outside the court,” wrote 34-year-old Bengaluru-based software developer, Atul Subhash, whose body was found on Monday at his home in India’s technology hub.
Subhash’s family alleges he was a victim of extortion, saying his wife’s relatives demanded a one-time alimony settlement of up to 30 million rupees (US$350,000), a figure that had haunted the couple’s lengthy divorce case since 2021.
Subhash also accused his wife of preventing him from seeing their son until he fulfilled her financial demands. In a part of the suicide note addressed to his son, he expressed deep sorrow and frustration: “When I first saw you, I thought that I could give my life for you any day. But, sadly, I am giving my life because of you. I don’t feel anything about you now except a tinge of pain sometimes. Now, you just feel like a blackmail using which I will be extorted more and more.”
Local police are investigating, while Subhash’s wife, identified as Nikita Singhania, and her immediate family are in hiding.