GUWAHATI: Nikita Singhania, the estranged wife of 34-year-old tech professional Atul Subhash, along with her mother Nisha and brother Anurag, has been arrested in connection with a case of abetment to suicide. This follows Atul’s tragic death by suicide, in which he accused Nikita and her family of harassment and extortion.
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Nikita was apprehended in Gurugram, while her mother and brother were arrested in Prayagraj. Another relative, Sushil Singhania, who is also an accused, is currently on the run. The three individuals were arrested on Saturday, Decemeber 14, and later brought to Bengaluru late in the evening. They were presented in court yesterday and remanded into custody for 14 days. Authorities had been cautious with the arrests due to public agitation, with police initially requesting the suspects to appear within three days.
The arrests have sparked significant public outrage, especially following Atul Subhash's death and his allegations, which he documented in a 24-page suicide note and an 80-minute video. Atul, originally from Samastipur in Bihar, was found dead at his Bengaluru residence on Monday. His detailed note, with every page starting with the phrase "justice is due," outlined the circumstances leading to his suicide.
In the note and video, Atul stated that he married Nikita in 2019 after meeting her through a matchmaking website, and they had a son the following year. He claimed that Nikita and her family frequently demanded large sums of money from him to fund business ventures, and tensions arose when he refused. Nikita eventually left with their son in 2021. The following year, Atul alleged, she filed multiple legal cases against him and his family, accusing them of serious charges such as cruelty, dowry harassment, and even murder. The Singhania family, in turn, accused Atul and his relatives of harassing Nikita's late father for dowry, which allegedly contributed to his death, though this case was later withdrawn.
Atul further claimed that Nikita and her family sought to extort him, demanding ₹3 crore to settle the legal disputes, and that he was ordered by the court to pay ₹80,000 in monthly maintenance, which Nikita deemed insufficient. In his suicide note, Atul expressed frustration with the judicial system, claiming that his hard work and success led only to more harassment from his family and the legal system. He wrote, "The more I work hard and become better at my work, the more I and my family will be harassed and extorted... Now, with me gone, there won't be any money and no reason to harass my old parents and brother." He also mentioned that both Nikita and her mother had urged him to take his life on two separate occasions.
In the aftermath of his death, Atul's brother, Bikas Kumar, filed the abetment to suicide case against Nikita, her mother, brother, and uncle Sushil Singhania. Atul's family contends that the ongoing legal battles, coupled with the stress of traveling between Bengaluru and Jaunpur, contributed to his decision to take his own life. They also allege that Nikita refused to allow him to see their son and demanded money for access. Meanwhile, Sushil Singhania, Nikita’s uncle, denied the allegations, calling them baseless and maintaining that they are innocent.
The case has ignited widespread debate over the misuse of laws related to dowry and the protection of women from marital cruelty, with many questioning the fairness of these legal provisions.