In the tragic aftermath of Bengaluru-based AI engineer Atul Subhash’s suicide, the Ministry of Law and Justice has reaffirmed its commitment to handling family court cases with “caution and sensitivity.” The ministry’s statement came after the public outrage sparked by the 24-page suicide note left by Subhash, which levied serious allegations against his wife, her family, and a family court judge.
Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Atul Subhash was found hanged at his home in Bengaluru on Monday. He left behind a suicide note and a 90-minute video detailing his grievances, including allegations of harassment and extortion against his wife and her family, and misconduct by the family court system.
The Ministry of Law and Justice, in a post on the microblogging site X (formerly known as Twitter), described family courts as dedicated platforms designed to resolve disputes within families without the formalities of traditional courts. The statement emphasized that these courts focus on timely and fair resolutions, promoting reconciliation and restoring relationships within families.
The ministry’s post stated, “Family courts concentrate on timely and fair solutions, and they foster reconciliation to help restore relations within families.”
Subhash, in his suicide note, accused his wife of filing false cases against him and demanding a monthly alimony of ₹200,000 for herself and their four-year-old son. He claimed that on multiple occasions, his wife provoked him to commit suicide, including during court hearings where she taunted him in front of the judge.
The social media post also included accusations from Subhash stating, “My wife will alienate my child from me and file more cases against me, my elderly parents, and my brother. The money I pay her in alimony is used against me, not for our child’s welfare, but as a weapon against me.”
Following his brother’s death, Vikas Modi filed a complaint with the police, accusing Subhash’s wife and her family of fabricating false cases and demanding a settlement of ₹30 million. Modi highlighted the practical difficulties of traveling from Bengaluru to Uttar Pradesh for court cases and stressed that the continuous harassment led his brother to end his life while fighting against a prejudiced system.
