A Bengaluru court on Saturday, January 4 granted interim bail to the estranged wife and in-laws of automobile firm executive Atul Subhash, who died by suicide in December 2024. The bail was granted to Atul's wife Nikita Singhania, her mother Nisha Singhania and brother Anurag Singhania.
According to the police, Nikita was arrested in Gurugram in Haryana, while Nisha and Anurag were tracked down in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh on December 14. They would be released from the Bengaluru Central Prison in a day or two after the completion of formalities. The family of Atul Subhash has stated that after obtaining the order sheet, they would appeal over the decision in the High Court of Karnataka.
Atul was found dead in his Munnekolala residence in Bengaluru on Monday, December 9. He had made a video before his death that is being widely shared. A suicide note and other documents that were reportedly left by him also went viral on social media websites. The note and the video accuse Atul’s wife and her family of extortion, and allege that a family court judge in Uttar Pradesh demanded a bribe to settle the maintenance case that his wife has filed against him.
Following his death, Atul’s brother, Bikas Kumar, filed a police complaint accusing Nikita, her mother, brother, and uncle of demanding Rs 3 crore to withdraw legal cases filed against Atul. The family allegedly sought Rs 30 lakh for granting Atul visitation rights to see his son.
The police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the three accused under Sections 108, 3 (5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) on December 9. Nikita's family had alleged that Atul demanded a hefty dowry from her family which resulted in the death of her father. Anju Modi, mother of Atul Subhash, moved the Supreme Court seeking custody of her grandson who is currently with her daughter-in-law Nikita Singhania.
Vinay Singh, counsel representing the family of Atul Subhash said, "We have to receive the complete order copy to comment. We got the verdict from the court that the bail petition has been allowed. It means that the accused are going to be released on bail. Once the order sheet is received, we will study it and if there is scope based on the grounds on which the bail is provided, we will approach the higher court.”
(With inputs from IANS)
If you are aware of anyone feeling suicidal or facing mental health issues, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm)
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.