BENGALURU: Following the death by suicide of a software engineer, who left a 24-page death note, Marathahalli police registered a case of abetment of suicide against four individuals, including his wife.
Atul Subhash, 34, a native of Uttar Pradesh, hanged himself from the ceiling fan in his residence, due to alleged harassment by his wife and her family, Sunday midnight.
Based on a complaint filed by Subhash’s brother Bikas Kumar, police registered a case under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the BNS against his wife Nikita Singhania, mother-in-law Nisha Singhania, brother-in-law Anurag Singhania, and Nikita’s uncle Sushil Singhania.
The FIR stated that the four allegedly demanded Rs 3 crore as settlement amount to close the cases registered against him.
The Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) and police collected the death note and other documents for investigation. After verification, police said notices will be issued to the accused.
Police said Subhash took the drastic step as he was depressed over ongoing court hearings and harassment by his wife and her family. Before taking the step, Atul reportedly sent a message to an NGO about his decision to end his life. On Monday morning, around 6am, police received an alert about Atul from an NGO member. They broke open the front door which was locked from inside.
The flat is located on the third floor of an apartment complex in Manjunatha Layout, Marathahalli.
At the scene, police found a 24-page death note, a video recorded by Subhash before ending his life, a to-do list, and papers with the message ‘Justice is Due’ pasted on his T-shirt and on a cupboard.
Atul’s suicide became a topic of debate on various social media platforms, where users held Subhash’s wife responsible for his death. They also posted her photos and social media handles and demanded her dismissal from her job. The issue also led to a debate on harassment of men by women.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, help is available. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 or Call, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline - 02225521111)