NEW DELHI: “The mediation court didn’t follow the law, not even Supreme Court rules,” said Pawan Kumar, grieving the death of his 34-year-old son, Subhash Atul, a deputy general manager at an automobile firm, who died by suicide in Bengaluru on Monday.
Atul’s father, Pawan Kumar, accused his son’s in-laws and the judicial system of pushing him to the edge during an ongoing legal battle over divorce and child custody.
Speaking to the media, Pawan Kumar said,"He was forced to travel to Jaunpur from Bengaluru nearly 40 times. His wife kept filing one charge after another. He must have been under immense pressure, but he never let us sense it. Suddenly, we got the news of his death. It’s 100% true that his wife and her family harassed him. We cannot describe the level of tension our son must have been in.”

Subhash's death has exposed allegations of his wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family demanding Rs 3 crore to withdraw legal cases and Rs 30 lakh for visitation rights to his son. His brother, Bikas Kumar, filed a police complaint, leading to cases of abetment to suicide being registered against Nikita, her mother Nisha, brother Anurag, and uncle Sushil Singhania.
“My brother was mentally and physically exhausted ever since the court battle began. He was mocked by his in-laws and told to die if he couldn’t pay the money or gain visitation rights. This drove him to the extreme step,” said Bikas in his statement to the police.
In his suicide note, Subhash detailed the unrelenting harassment he faced, including eight allegedly false police complaints, and accused a family court judge in Uttar Pradesh of bias. He also emailed an NGO advocating for men’s rights, announcing his intention to end his life.
Subhash’s video message, recorded hours before his death, has since gone viral, drawing attention to men’s mental health and legal struggles. “The money I earn only strengthens my enemies. Courts and police harass me and my family using the taxes I pay. My in-laws suggested I commit suicide, so I am complying,” he stated.
In his note, Subhash appealed for justice, asking that his wife and her family be kept away from his body. “My last rites shouldn’t be conducted until my harassers are punished. If they walk free, dump my ashes in a gutter near the court so I know how life is valued in this country,” he wrote.