In a recent Supreme Court session, the ongoing custody battle over Atul Subhash’s four-year-old son took a new turn as Nikita Singhania, the estranged wife of the deceased AI techie, revealed that the child is currently enrolled in a boarding school in Faridabad, Haryana. This disclosure came after weeks of uncertainty about the child’s whereabouts following Atul Subhash’s tragic suicide in December.
Nikita Singhania’s lawyer informed Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh that plans are underway to relocate the child to Bengaluru to comply with Nikita’s bail conditions. “We have withdrawn him from school, and he will soon join his mother in Bengaluru,” stated Nikita’s attorney during the proceedings.
Atul Subhash, 34, died by suicide after releasing an 81-minute video and a 24-page note accusing Nikita and her family of harassment and filing false cases against him and his parents, leading to charges of abetment to suicide against Nikita, her mother Nisha, and brother Anurag, who are all currently out on bail.
The child’s grandmother, Anju Devi, has petitioned the Supreme Court for custody of her grandson, arguing against the appropriateness of a boarding school for such a young child. Her lawyer emphasized the familial bond, showing photographs of the grandmother with the child from two years ago, and argued that the child should not be a stranger to his family roots.
Justice Nagarathna remarked on the complicated family dynamics, noting, “Sorry to say, but the child is a stranger to the petitioner.”
The court also addressed concerns about the ongoing media coverage and public opinion surrounding the case, cautioning that decisions cannot be based on a “media trial” and that Nikita Singhania has not been proven guilty. The Justices deferred the custody issue to be addressed in the trial court where the case against Nikita is proceeding.
