Asking whether you remember Atul Subhash is a superfluous question since you already landed on this page. But…..does it bother you….that a man allegedly lost his life due to harassment by his wife, in-laws and even the Judicial Officer, and nothing happened? The blog here compiles the many Atul Subhash and a glimpse of their stories, how they gave up on their lives at the hands of this “sacred” relation of marriage. Their stories reflect upon the failure of Indian legal system. There is NCRB Data on men suicide and it clearly reflects upon the huge difference of married men who commit suicide as compared to married women. Every innocent life should matter regardless of whether it was a man or a woman.
Recent Suicide Stories of Husbands in India
Though it has been a painful journey researching about husbands who committed suicide due to their better halves, the deed is done. It was all the more important to reflect upon Atul Subhash and many more like him who gave up on life but their voice could not reach those in power. Read about them and realize that this is not about a few men but the families which suffer the brunt of a broken marriage and a failed legal system:
- Atul Subhash – This Bengaluru-based techie died by suicide on 9 Dec 2024. He left a 24-page note along with a long video accusing his estranged wife and her family of harassment, false cases (dowry, cruelty), and extortion. His case has sparked legal debate and petitions in the Supreme Court to check the misuse of laws for married women and their protection.
- Puneet Khurana – A 40-year-old businessman in Delhi died by suicide. He got married in 2016, and opted death over misery in December 2024. According to his family, he was “mentally tortured” by his wife (Manika Pahwa) and her family. He had even recorded a 59-minute video before his death describing the harassment. A leaked CCTV footage allegedly showed arguments between him and his wife.
- Petaru Gollapalli – A man from Karnataka committed suicide in January 2025. In his suicide note, he blamed his estranged wife for harassment and stated that ‘my wife is killing me’. Reportedly, she had demanded ₹20 lakh as compensation/alimony in their divorce.
- Nitin Padiyar – In January 2025, an Indore photographer died by suicide, allegedly leaving behind a note accusing his wife and her family of misusing dowry law. An FIR was registered: his wife and three relatives have been charged with abetment to suicide.
- Rohit Saini – A 24-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh opted suicide in February 2025. According to the FIR / suicide note, his wife and her family allegedly harassed him over a ₹10 lakh divorce demand and threatened him with false cases.
- Mohit Yadav – A 33-year-old engineer from Uttar Pradesh died by suicide in April 2025. Before his death, he recorded a video alleging “mental harassment” by his wife and in-laws. He claimed there were threats of false dowry cases, coercion to transfer property, and forced an abortion.
- Yogesh Kumar – A Faridabad man died by suicide in October 2025 in front of the Police and his wife. The couple was already in the middle of a contested divorce and child custody proceedings. His family accused his wife and in-laws of harassing him over the deceased’s mother’s stay with the couple.
Why not Fight against Wife but Opt Suicide?
That indeed is a crucial question to ask – Why do innocent men prefer death over legally fighting against their wife misusing laws? Because the fight is not easy. The Indian legal system is already very infamous for Tareekh Pe Tareekh. When it comes to matrimonial cases, the husband first has to bear the financial burden – of legal representation for himself, and the expenses of the wife as well since her maintenance falls upon him. That is why it is recommended to convince spouse for mutual consent divorce, because contested divorce is a battle of another level.
Some women, to settle score for broken marriage, makes extreme allegations against husband and his family. That is where middle-class or innocent families suffer the most. Those people find it very challenging to approach lawyers, face Police visits, deal with Judge’s interrogation during hearings. Men who are habitual of protecting their families are unable to see them suffer because of marriage. Because they see no end to this suffering (because such matrimonial disputes take years to conclude), they find suicide a more feasible option to end it all.
NCRB Data on Men Suicide
I recently came across a post talking about men’s rights and someone proudly interrupted saying there have been numerous women who lost their lives to menace of domestic violence and dowry. Is there any competition, and how many men’s lives will equate the wrath? The National Crime Records Bureau is the government authority that collects and analyzes crime data. It plays a vital role in police work, focusing on the prevention and detection of crime. The data related to Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India for 3 preceding years has been shown here, focusing upon married men and those who committed suicide due to marriage related issues. The same has been compared with those of women to check whether the claims of “more women die” is actually true. Let us have a look, because it is not at all men versus women.
NCRB Data on Men Suicide vs Female Suicide
| Particulars | NCRB Data in 2023 | NCRB Data in 2022 | NCRB Data in 2021 |
| Total no. of men who committed suicide in 2023 | 124730 | 122724 | 118979 |
| Total no. of women who committed suicide in 2023 | 46648 | 48172 | 45026 |
| Overall MALE vs FEMALE ratio of suicide victims | 72.8 : 27.2 | 71.8 : 28.2 | 72.5 : 27.5 |
| Ratio of Married MEN vs Married WOMEN | MEN – 84995 (68.1% of overall 72.8%) WOMEN – 29931 (64.2% overall 27.2%) | MEN – 83713 (68.2% of overall 71.8%)WOMEN – 30771 (63.9% of overall 28.2%) | MEN – 81063 (68.1% WOMEN – 28680 (63.7% of 27.5%) |
| Men who committed suicide due to marriage related issues | 4863 | 4237 | 3833 |
| Women who committed suicide due to marriage related issues | 4180 | 3926 | 4069 |
Failure of Indian Legal System
The legal system in India is built on the presumption that a man has to be the perpetrator, and a woman can only be a victim. Even today, whenever you will see someone raising their voice for men’s rights, you will see tens of people who would ask you to compare the numbers where women faced trauma at the hands of their husband and in-laws. So are we seeking to normalise men losing their lives just because a lot of women lost their lives in matrimonial clashes? The legal system looks at men and women differently, more so in matrimonial disputes.
Are men the only victims of false matrimonial cases?
The gender stereotypes of Indian legal system are not veiled. While there is a concept of equality, the laws fail to bring any sense of protection among men facing the wrath of false cases by their once love of life.
Why should you worry?
It is quite normal in our society that nothing bothers us unless the worst happens to us. We hear about others’ sufferings and we choose to shut our eyes and turn deaf. But when time comes for us to face the tough times, we realize the sensitivity and the real picture. That’s the same for matrimonial disputes, misuse of laws by women and suicide by married men in India.
There is one crucial point to highlight that it is not just about men, but every family where there is a man. Because whenever a husband is caught up in matrimonial dispute, his mother, father, brother, sister, and even the brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law are named. You should worry because this is not about men, but the whole family system is affected. People are forced to either leave their homes, or to end up giving all their life savings in the name of alimony/maintenance to the women they welcomed as their daughter-in-law.
Suggestion for Lawmakers
Though the voice is not the first of its kind, and it is not loud enough as well. However, it is high time the law makers stop ignoring men in India. It’s been almost a year since Atul Subhash gave up on his life just because the Indian legal system failed him. He was not the first man to commit suicide while fighting a matrimonial dispute. In fact, he was not the last one as well. The list shared above was not manufactured but researched from various news portals, tracked throughout the year.
The Legal System ought to protect women, but men should not be ignored. For there is a family behind every man in a matrimonial case who suffers with him. If it is a failed marriage, both bear the brunt, men should not be selectively punished with the laws for women along with the forceful financial burden of alimony. The way Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar protected husbands and their families against arbitrary arrests, the laws should themselves be amended so that genuine people do not suffer, be it men or women.
Whether to act with violence or not, is an individual’s choice, not a part of gender roles. A woman can raise her hand on her husband or in-laws, and a man can get hurt by his wife – it is as simple as that. Cruelty against husband by his wife should be equally punishable as cruelty against the wife is. If dowry demands are illegal, the Legal System should not encourage alimony trends as well. If both parents hold equal responsibility towards children, child custody to father should be normalised. If a married woman’s death within a certain period of marriage is treated differently, the system should not turn deaf against a husband who is clearly alleging harassment at the hands of his wife and in-laws.
