Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 11 (ANI): The case of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash, who died by suicide citing alleged harassment by his estranged wife, has sparked a debate over the misuse of anti-dowry laws. Mumbai-based lawyer Abha Singh described the case as a 'gross misuse of law,' stating that false charges and harassment led to the victim's death, caused by pressure from his wife and in-laws.

Singh emphasized that the misuse of dowry laws could ultimately deny justice to those who genuinely need protection. 'Dowry laws, made to protect women, should not be misused because if some women are going to misuse these laws, it will directly deny justice to women who need them,' said the lawyer.

Speaking to ANI, Singh elaborated, 'A 34-year-old techie, Atul Subhash, committed suicide in Bengaluru, leaving behind a suicide note. He mentioned that nine police complaints had been registered against him, with false charges of murder, dowry harassment, and domestic violence. The note states that these charges were untrue and that Subhash had been paying his wife INR 2 lakhs, yet she denied him access to his son, using the child as a tool for blackmail.'

'The suicide note also states that he was forced to give expensive gifts not only to his wife but also to her mother and brother. A case of abetment to suicide should be registered against the wife and her relatives. They should be arrested,' Singh added.

Singh further remarked, 'False cases were registered in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. An FIR should also be filed against the police officers for making these false claims. This is because the wife admitted her father had died of a heart attack, not murder. When the police wrote 'murder' instead of 'heart attack,' it clearly shows this is a travesty of justice and gross misuse of the law.'

The lawyer expressed her condolences for Subhash’s mother, who lost her son, and his 4-year-old child, who will grow up without knowing his father due to his wife’s alleged greed. 'Blackmailing a person into suicide is deplorable and shameful,' Singh said.

Meanwhile, Delhi-based men's rights activist Barkha Trehan stated that Atul Subhash had been failed by the system, leading him to take his own life. 'Atul Subhash is not the first man; lakhs of such men have died. The system failed him. There is a lot of bias, with only women being heard, while men are tortured and threatened, even by educated women. There is nobody to listen to their plight,' Trehan said.

'Cases under IPC section 498 are deliberately registered against men, and the Supreme Court has observed that 95 percent of these cases are fake. Laws made for women's safety are being used as weapons,' she added.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been filed against four people in connection with Subhash’s suicide. The FIR, based on a complaint from Subhash's brother, Bikas Kumar, was lodged at the Marathahalli police station in Bengaluru. The FIR is filed under section 108 (abetment of suicide) and section 3 (5) (joint criminal liability) of the BNS, and targets Subhash’s wife Nikita Singhania, her mother Nisha Singhania, her brother Anurag Singhania, and her uncle Sushil Singhania.

According to the complaint, Atul Subhash married Nikita Singhania in 2019, and they had a child together. The complaint alleges that the four accused filed a false case against Atul after their divorce and demanded INR 3 crore for the settlement. The complaint further alleges that Nikita demanded INR 30 lakh to allow Atul to visit their four-year-old son. The complaint claims Atul died by suicide due to mental and physical harassment.

The police confirmed that the incident occurred on Monday morning at a flat in Bengaluru's Manjunatha Layout in the Delfinium Residency. Upon arrival, police broke into the flat, finding Atul hanging from a ceiling fan by a nylon rope. They informed Bikas Kumar, who then filed the complaint.

In his suicide note, Atul called for justice, writing 'Justice is Due' on every page of the 24-page note. Along with his wife and her family, he also accused a family court judge in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, of not hearing his case and an officer in the court of accepting bribes in front of the judge.

Atul also recorded a video describing his alleged harassment, asking his family not to immerse his ashes until justice was served. The note also included a message for his son, urging that his parents be given custody of the child. The note and video link were sent to a WhatsApp group of an NGO he was connected with. Atul alleged that his wife had filed nine cases against him, including murder, sexual misconduct, harassment for money, domestic violence, and dowry.

(ANI)