A 2022 dowry and harassment complaint filed by Atul Subhash’s estranged wife Nikita Singhania has become the centre of debate after the Bengaluru techie's death earlier this week.
Bengaluru-based techie Atul Subhash's wife Nikita's complaint which was filed in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur was regarding harassment and assault for dowry. The complaint further mentions Ms Singhania saying that the 34-year-old techie treated their marital relationship "like a beast" while his family's constant demand for dowry resulted in her father's stroke and death.
A 2022 dowry and harassment complaint filed by Atul Subhash’s estranged wife Nikita Singhania has become the centre of debate after the Bengaluru techie's death earlier this week.
As per media reports, Nikita's complaint which was filed in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur was regarding harassment and assault for dowry. The complaint further mentions Ms Singhania saying that the 34-year-old techie treated their marital relationship "like a beast" while his family's constant demand for dowry resulted in her father's stroke and death.
Atul Subhash was found dead in his Bengaluru home in the Manjunath Layout area, on Monday. He left behind a 24-page suicide note and a 90-minute video where he elucidated allegations of harassment and extortion against his wife and her family.
The suicide note included extensive details of years of emotional distress from marital issues, multiple cases filed against him, and harassment by his wife, her relatives, police said.
Based on Atul's video and suicide note, Nikita Singhani, her mother Nisha Singhania, brother Anurag Singhania, and uncle Sushil Singhania have been charged with abetment of suicide.
Apart from the dowry claims, the official complaint reportedly charges like cruelty by husband or relatives, assault, and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code.
As per PTI, Nikita said she got married to Subhash on April 26, 2019. Atul and her in-laws were dissatisfied with what her parents gave them during the wedding and demanded rupees 10 lakh more.
"(They) started torturing me physically and mentally for dowry. When I told my parents about the harassment and dowry, my parents explained to me that everything will be fine, listen and keep living with it. But no improvement of any kind came in my husband and in-laws," she said in the complaint, according to the PTI report.
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In his suicide note, however, Subhash stated that, "We demanded rupees 10 lakh dowry is the most laughable allegation. My wife has claimed that I had a CTC of rupees 40 lakhs when she left the house. My wife also claimed that I have a CTC of rupees 80 Lakhs later in the case. Why would a man making ? 40 or 80 lakhs would ever demand ? 10 lakhs and leave his wife and child (sic)," he wrote.
Ms Singhania also had allegations of getting beaten by Atul. "My husband started to beat me up after drinking alcohol and started treating the husband-wife relationship with me like a beast. He used to transfer my entire salary from my account to his account by threatening me," Nikita added.
Countering the allegation of him beating his wife in his suicide note, the techie said, "I used to beat her up black and blue after getting drunk. A well built man like me, if decides to beat someone black and blue (sic), would leave a person with broken bones, bleeding and at least some marks. Why did she not produce any photo of it or anyone who is a witness ( we often had a house maid, cook etc)."
In her complaint, Ms Singhania also held Atul and her in-laws accountable for her father's deterioration in health demand due to their constant demand for dowry. Her father reportedly suffered a stroke on August 17, 2019.
Terming this a "poor Bollywood plot", Subhash said, "Me and my family murdered her father by asking for the dowry of rupees 10 lakhs and her father got a heart attack. This is some poor Bollywood plot. She has already confessed that her father was suffering from long-term illness in her cross-examination. Her father was getting treated from AlIMS for the last 10 years for heart disease, dlabetes etc. Doctors gave him a few months and hence we got married quickly after just a few months after getting connected (sic)."
Reacting to the developments, Atul's father said, "Our judicial system is so weak... my son has told everything. He was tortured a lot, and we were not aware he was so sad."
As per PTI, Subhash's brother Bikas said, "I want my brother to get justice. I want this country to have a legal process through which even men can get justice. I want strict action against those sitting on a legal chair and doing corruption because if this continues, how will people expect justice."
"....can expect justice only when decisions are made based of facts and if it does not happen, then people will slowly start losing faith in the judicial system. It may lead to a situation where people may get afraid to get married. Men may start feeling that if they get married, they will just end up being an ATM for vending money," he alleged.
Further accusing the police of inaction, Atul's uncle Pawan Kumar said, "The police have not taken a step yet. If this had been done by a girl, the boy would've been arrested by now. However, a boy has done this and that's why no action has been taken yet."
"His wife even said that he should commit suicide if he cannot pay the amount to which the judge also laughed. This really hurt him," he alleged.
According to a senior police officer, "Based on a complaint from his family, we have registered a case of abetment of suicide against his wife and her family members. All the allegations are being looked into, and we are investigating the matter." No arrests have been made yet, he added.
The police officer further added preliminary investigations revealed that Subhash had been facing marital discord with his wife, who had also registered a case against him in Uttar Pradesh.
A police team probing the matter reached Uttar Pradesh to question the deceased's wife and her family members as part of the probe. "We are looking into all the allegations and the matter is being investigated from all angles", a senior police officer said.