Atul Subhash’s wife Nikita Singhania, her mother Nisha, and brother Anurag. (File photo)
While hearing a petition to quash an abetment-of-suicide FIR registered over Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash’s death, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday orally asked whether it would not amount to abetment of suicide if a man felt harassed by his wife and killed himself.
Justice S R Krishana Kumar issued notices to the state government and Subhash’s brother Bikash Kumar, who is the complainant in the FIR against the petitioners: the deceased man’s wife Nikita Singhania, her mother, and brother.
Subhash allegedly died by suicide on December 9, 2024, leaving behind a video accusing his wife and in-laws of harassing him by filing false matrimonial cases.
This is the second time the petitioners have approached the court for the same relief, having done so immediately after the case was registered under section 108, read with section 3(5), of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. They later withdrew the first plea.
The court was informed that the police had filed a chargesheet in the case containing the statements of 50 witnesses.
However, advocate Bharat Kumar V, appearing for the petitioners, contended that the chargesheet contained no material against the accused.
The judge then pointed to the video recorded by Subhash and asked, “If the husband feels that wife is harassing him and he commits suicide, is that not abetment to suicide? Then what should the husband feel before committing suicide?”
The court remarked that it would have to consider the entire evidence and could not quash the chargesheet without looking into the witness statements and other evidence. Accordingly, it directed the petitioners and the respondents to file a synopsis pointing out which witness statements support or do not support the case by the next date of hearing, April 8.
Accepting their request, the high court allowed the petitioners to be exempted from personal appearance in the trial court.
Curated by Aisha Patel
