'Handled with Care’: Law Ministry Clarifies Amid Outrage Over Bengaluru Techie Suicide

New Delhi: The Ministry of Law and Justice clarified on Tuesday that it is committed to handling family court cases with “care and sensitivity” in response to public outrage following the suicide of Bengaluru-based techie Atul Subhash.

Subhash, who left behind a 24-page suicide note and a 90-minute video, accused his wife and her family of harassment and extortion. He also expressed frustration with the allegedly biased legal system. In his note, he made serious allegations against a family court judge in Uttar Pradesh. A placard reading "Justice is Due" was found hanging in his house.

His death has sparked a nationwide conversation about systemic inequities in India’s legal framework.

Ministry of Law and Justice Responds

Amid the growing anger, the Ministry stated in an X post: “Family courts are a dedicated platform for resolving disputes within families, ensuring that issues related to marriage, child custody, and inheritance are handled with care, sensitivity, and without the conventional formal court style.”

The Ministry also emphasized that family courts "focus on timely and impartial solutions while also promoting reconciliation to help restore relationships within families."

Subhash mentioned in his suicide note that his wife had filed nine cases against him, including charges of murder, sexual misconduct, harassment for money, domestic violence, and dowry. He also requested that his parents be given custody of his child.

In the video, which has now gone viral on social media, Subhash alleged: “My wife will keep my child alienated and file more cases to harass me, my elderly parents, and my brother, using the money I pay her as maintenance. Instead of using it for our child's welfare, she is weaponizing it against us.”

He further shared: “I feel that I should kill myself because the money I earn is making my enemies stronger. That same money will be used to destroy me, and this cycle will keep going.  

“With the money from my taxes, this court and police system will harass me, my family, and other good people. So, the supply of value should be finished.”

Subhash’s brother, Bikas Kumar, filed a police complaint against his wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family, alleging they demanded ₹3 crore to withdraw legal cases and ₹30 lakh for visitation rights to Subhash’s son. “Every time Atul attended court, he was mocked by his in-laws and told to die if he couldn’t pay,” Kumar told the police.

“For people working in Bengaluru, it’s not possible to always commute to UP for a case. But he was being harassed constantly,” Kumar explained, adding: “My brother gave his life while he was fighting against the system.”

Subhash’s family has also raised concerns over systemic failures and judicial bias. His father, Pawan Kumar, said Subhash had traveled to Uttar Pradesh at least 40 times for court hearings, enduring repeated accusations by his wife. “He told us the mediation court didn’t work by law. He must have been frustrated but never showed it,” Kumar said.