In a significant development following the tragic suicide of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash, a local court has ordered fourteen days of judicial custody for his estranged wife, Nikita Singhania, and two of her family members. The arrests were made in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh before the accused were transferred to Bengaluru for the court proceedings.
The court’s decision came shortly after police investigations prompted by the contents of Subhash’s suicide note and a distressing video he left behind, wherein he accused his wife and her family of severe harassment and legal intimidation, which he claimed led to his decision to end his life. This included multiple false cases against him, adding to an already tumultuous divorce, alimony, and child custody battle.
Nikita’s uncle, Sushil Singhania, also implicated in the allegations, remains at large with authorities actively seeking his apprehension.
The 34-year-old software engineer’s death has ignited widespread debate on social media, with netizens demanding stringent action against those accused of driving Subhash to suicide. In the video released posthumously, Subhash detailed the alleged abuse and legal harassment he faced amidst ongoing proceedings in a family court in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur.
Following these allegations, a first information report (FIR) was lodged against Nikita Singhania and her family under severe legal provisions, including abetment to suicide and criminal conspiracy, outlined in the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
In a bid to avoid arrest, Singhania and her family sought anticipatory bail from the Allahabad High Court, which has yet to rule on the matter.
