Atul Subhash suicide: Wife's family still at large, Bengaluru cops issue them notice

Also read: Atul Subhash's mother-in-law flees home; wife's uncle says baseless allegation

Locked doors, missing suspects, and a viral video of the accused leaving their home early in the morning have deepened the mystery. Meanwhile, hundreds of software engineers and citizens lit candles in Bengaluru, demanding justice for Subhash.

Wife’s house in UP locked; cops issue notice

On Thursday (December 12), a police team from Bengaluru arrived in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, to question Subhash’s mother-in-law, Nisha Singhania, at her residence. However, before the police team could arrive, Nikita’s family had vacated the house. Police said the house was locked when they reached the spot.

Also read: Atul Subhash suicide leads to summons for wife, her family in UP

On Friday (December 13) morning, when the Bengaluru police team revisited the location, they found the lock still in place. Subsequently, police issued a notice to Nikita’s family, affixing it to the wall of the house, and instructing them to record their statement within three days.

‘Search underway, no arrests so far’

A purported video of Nikita’s family’s escape has been circulating on social media, showing her mother, Nisha, leaving the house on a motorbike early on Thursday morning. The video also shows Nikita’s brother and Subhash’s brother-in-law, Anurag Singhania, making plans before eventually fleeing.

Also read: Amid uproar over Atul Subhash suicide, SC lists 8 factors to decide alimony debate

Speaking about the progress of the probe in the case, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda said the inspector of Marathahalli Police Station – where Subhash’s brother had filed his complaint – is leading the investigation and collecting evidence in the case.

“No arrests have been made so far, and search operations are underway,” he said.

Suspects have switched off phones: Police

Dayananda said the police team from Bengaluru travelled to Uttar Pradesh on Thursday to investigate the case and visited Subhash’s mother-in-law’s house with the help of local police. However, they had no luck nabbing the accused as the family had switched off their mobile phones, locked the house, and fled before the police arrived.

Also read: Atul Subhash suicide: ‘Son suffered in silence, was under stress’, say parents

“A notice was issued at the residence, instructing them to appear before the investigating officer,” the commissioner said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shivakumar Gunare said they are in constant touch with local police to locate the suspects.

Candlelight protest in Bengaluru

On Thursday night, hundreds gathered at Ecospace in Bengaluru for a candlelight vigil, demanding justice for Subhash. Organised by the Family Foundation, the protest saw participation from software employees and others, calling for a thorough investigation and immediate arrests of those responsible for the techie’s death.

Also read: Atul Subhash suicide: No FIR against UP judge accused of bribery

The protesters demanded amendments to Section 498A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to prevent the alleged misuse of the law and called for equal justice for men and women. They alleged that many men are suffering due to biased laws and urged for a new, balanced legal framework.

Calling for prompt arrests, the protesters called for stringent punishment for the guilty. They also raised concerns about the alleged misuse of laws like the Dowry Prohibition Act.

(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)