A recent incident in Bengaluru has brought the issue of dowry harassment and its potential consequences back into the spotlight. A tech professional was found dead in his Bengaluru residence, with his parents alleging dowry harassment as the cause of his suicide.

The 34-year-old techie, Atul Subhash, originally from Uttar Pradesh, was residing in Bengaluru's Manjunatha Layout at Delfinium Residency. Preliminary investigations suggest that Subhash died by suicide. Following his death, a case of abetment of suicide was registered against his wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family members.

According to reports, Subhash left behind a 24-page suicide note. In the note, he alleged that his wife and her relatives had filed false cases against him and his family and were trying to extort money from him. He claimed they were demanding a hefty sum of ₹2 lakh per month as maintenance for his wife and their four-year-old son. Subhash repeatedly wrote "Justice is Due" on every page of his suicide note.

Adding a complex layer to the case, Subhash's wife, Nikita Singhania, had previously filed a complaint in 2022 alleging harassment and assault for dowry. She claimed that Subhash and his family were dissatisfied with the dowry her parents provided during their wedding in 2019 and demanded an additional ₹10 lakh. Singhania alleged that she was subjected to physical and mental torture for dowry, and her husband treated their relationship "like a beast". She also claimed that her husband would transfer her entire salary from her account to his by threatening her.

In response to these allegations in his suicide note, Subhash stated that his wife was earning ₹40 lakh a year as an Artificial Intelligence professional when she left their home in 2021, and ₹80 lakh after that. He refuted the claim of his family asking for ₹10 lakh as "laughable".

The incident has sparked a debate about the misuse of dowry laws in India. Mumbai-based lawyer Abha Singh termed the incident a "gross misuse of law," emphasizing that false accusations and harassment could deny justice to women genuinely in need of protection. The Supreme Court has also acknowledged a growing tendency to misuse Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cruelty by husband or relatives against a wife, as a tool for personal vendetta. The court has stressed the need for caution in dowry harassment cases to prevent the misuse of the law and avoid unnecessary trouble for innocent family members.

Following the suicide, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking guidelines to prevent the misuse of dowry laws. The petition calls for the formation of an expert committee to review and reform existing dowry and domestic violence laws and suggests recording articles and gifts given during marriage during marriage registrations.

Police are currently investigating the case.