Bengaluru techie suicide: Atul Subhash's father demands justice, says ‘lot of corruption… he was broken from inside…’

Bengaluru techie suicide: Atul Subhash, the 34-year-old Bengaluru techie who committed suicide alleging harassment from his wife and her family “was broken from inside”, his father told ANI.

Speaking to the news agency, Pawan Kumar, father of Subhash, said that his son was mentally burdened by the multiple cases filed against him and his family by his wife.

Subhash, deputy general manager of a private firm in Bengaluru, was found dead in his house on December 9. He left behind a 24-page suicide note, accusing his wife and her relatives of harassment. He also alleged corruption against a judge saying that the legal authority had demanded ₹5 lakh to “settle” the case.

Kumar resides in Samastipur, Bihar. Subhash's wife's family is from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, a four-member team of Bengaluru Police, including one woman police personnel reached Kotwali in Jaunpur, as per the report.

What Did Atul Subhash's Father Say?

Kumar told ANI, “My son used to say that there is a lot of corruption but he will fight as he is on the path of truth...He was broken from inside, though he didn't tell anyone anything.”

He added that Subhash's wife had started filing cases against them in January 2021, saying, “She started filing cases since January 2021... My son had thought that she had left (their home) after Corona and that their 1-year-old son would grow up a little at his maternal uncle's home... she also started filing cases against our entire family.”

Kumar also alleged that the judge overseeing the case demanded ₹5 lakh to “settle the case”. He said, “When they went ahead for mediation, it began from ₹20,000 and then escalated to ₹40,000; then the judge said that if he (the deceased) wants a settlement, he should give ₹5 lakh.”

‘Had No Idea He Would Take Drastic Step’

Vikas, the brother of deceased, told ANI his family had “no idea” that Subhash would take such a drastic step. “We talked to him normally. We had no idea he had decided to take such a step. We had never felt he was going to take such a step. I am in touch with a few of his friends and even they didn't have any idea of his thoughts,” Vikas said.

He alleged that his brother had “false cases” filed against him and had been mentally tortured. “False cases have been filed on me, and my parents, just like they were filed on my brother. Action should be taken against all those who mentally tortured my brother and filed false cases against him,” he said.

Vikas also claimed that Subhash had approached political leaders and institutes, including the President and the Supreme Court (SC), explaining his situation in detail. “If those emails have reached them, we hope action is taken and some laws, forums, or committees are made where men can go to seek justice... Laws and provisions made to empower women are today being misused,” the brother added.

Supreme Court Expressed Concern

The apex court had on December 11, expressed concern over the misuse of Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which penalises cruelty by husbands and their relatives against married women.

While quashing a Section 498A IPC case against a husband and his parents in a different case, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh said that the Section “became a tool for unleashing personal vendetta against the husband and his family by a wife”.

Subhash committed suicide in the early hours of December 9 after alleging harassment from his wife and her family. Subhash wrote “Justice is due” on every page of a 24-page note. He also alleged in his suicide note that his wife had filed nine cases against him under various sections, including murder, sexual misconduct, harassment for money, domestic violence, and dowry.

(With inputs from ANI)