In India, a nation celebrated for its vibrant culture and rapid progress, a silent crisis is unfolding—one that claims the lives of married men through harassment, betrayal, and a legal system that often seems stacked against them.
From the tragic suicide of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash to the brutal murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon, recent verified incidents paint a harrowing picture of men trapped in abusive marriages, facing false legal cases, financial extortion, and, in extreme cases, orchestrated violence.
Atul Subhash: A Cry for Justice
On December 9, 2024, Bengaluru awoke to a gut-wrenching tragedy. Atul Subhash, a 34-year-old software engineer, ended his life in his Marathahalli apartment, leaving behind a 90-minute video and a 40-page suicide note. In these, he detailed years of alleged harassment by his estranged wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family.
Married in 2019, Atul and Nikita had a son, but their relationship soured, leading to separation in 2022. Nikita filed multiple cases against Atul, including under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a dowry harassment law notorious for its low conviction rate and potential for misuse. Atul alleged that Nikita demanded Rs. 3 crores in alimony and denied him access to his four-year-old son, pushing him into financial ruin and emotional despair.
Atul’s suicide note was a plea for justice, not just for himself but for countless men facing similar ordeals. His case sparked outrage, with men’s rights activists like Deepika Bhardwaj highlighting how legal provisions like Section 498A—designed to protect women from cruelty—are often weaponized to harass husbands and their families.
The Supreme Court has called such misuse “legal terrorism” in cases like Sushil Kumar Sharma v. Union of India (2005), yet the system remains slow to change, leaving men like Atul vulnerable to a judicial process that presumes their guilt.
A Wave of Suicides: Men Pushed to the Brink
Atul’s death was not an isolated incident. In April 2025, Deepika Bhardwaj reported that her organization had documented over 100 suicides of married men in the first 120 days of the year, attributing these to harassment by wives and in-laws. These verified cases reveal a pattern of men overwhelmed by false allegations, financial demands, and social stigma.
In February 2025, Manav Sharma, a TCS employee in Agra, was found hanging in his home. His suicide note alleged relentless harassment by his wife, who had filed multiple legal cases against him. His final words, “The law needs to protect men,” resonated with activists who argue that the judiciary offers little recourse for men facing domestic abuse.
Similarly, in May 2025, Dr. Sumit Mittal, a mental health specialist in Rajasthan, took his life after enduring alleged torture by his wife, Seema Garg. Seema had filed 18 cases against him, including dowry harassment, rape, and charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The barrage of legal battles and social ostracism proved insurmountable for Dr. Mittal, whose death underscored the devastating toll of false allegations.
Another tragic case emerged in June 2025, when Manjeet, a young man from an undisclosed location, was allegedly murdered by his wife’s family just one year after their marriage. Deepika Bhardwaj reported that Manjeet’s wife had filed false cases against him and demanded Rs. 3 crores in alimony. When negotiations failed, his in-laws allegedly took his life, leaving his parents, for whom he was the only son, in inconsolable grief.
The Raja Raghuvanshi Murder: A Honeymoon Betrayal
Perhaps the most chilling incident of 2025 was the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, a 29-year-old businessman from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, during his honeymoon in Meghalaya. Married to Sonam Raghuvanshi on May 11, 2025, Raja embarked on a romantic getaway to Meghalaya just nine days later. On May 23, the couple went missing in the Sohra area of East Khasi Hills. On June 2, Raja’s body was found in a gorge near Wei Sawdong Falls, with two fatal machete wounds to the head.
Initially, Sonam was reported missing, raising fears of kidnapping. But on June 9, she surrendered in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, confessing to orchestrating Raja’s murder. Meghalaya Police revealed that Sonam, 24, conspired with her alleged lover, Raj Kushwaha, and hired three contract killers—Akash Rajput, Vishal Singh Chauhan, and Anand Kurmi—for ₹50,000. Text messages showed Sonam’s resentment toward Raja’s intimacy, with plans for the murder hatched just three days after their wedding. She chose a remote location to evade suspicion, fled to Indore after the crime, and later claimed she was drugged and abducted—a defense police dismissed.
Raja’s mother, Uma Raghuvanshi, expressed disbelief, noting Sonam’s impeccable pre-marital demeanor. Uma revealed Raja’s reluctance to go on the honeymoon, overridden by Sonam’s insistence. The family was unaware of Kushwaha until the investigation uncovered Sonam’s affair. Uma’s question—“If Sonam liked another boy, why didn’t she refuse to marry Raja?”—captures the betrayal felt by many in similar cases. Deepika Bhardwaj noted that Raja’s murder aligns with over 800 documented cases in 2023 where wives and lovers colluded to kill husbands, a trend continuing into 2025.
The Legal Framework: A Tilted Scale
India’s legal system, particularly Section 498A and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) of 2005, was enacted to combat dowry-related abuse and domestic violence against women. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 6,795 dowry deaths in 2022, underscoring the need for such protections.
Yet, these laws are a double-edged sword. Section 498A allows non-bailable arrests based on a woman’s complaint, often with minimal evidence. In 2013, over 220,000 people were arrested on dowry charges, but only 16% were convicted, suggesting many cases lack merit. Men face years of legal battles, financial ruin, and stigma before acquittal, if they survive the ordeal.
The Supreme Court has acknowledged this issue. In Rajesh Sharma v. State of UP (2017), it noted that vague allegations are sometimes used for harassment, and in December 2024, Justice BV Nagarathna quashed a Section 498A case, warning against “personal vendetta.” Yet, implementation remains inconsistent, and men like Atul, Manav, and Dr. Mittal bear the consequences. Raja’s case, while a criminal murder, highlights the lack of legal protections for men against spousal manipulation or violence, as no equivalent to Section 498A exists for male victims.
Societal Stigma: Patriarchy’s Hidden Victims
Patriarchy, often blamed for women’s oppression, also traps men in rigid roles. Men like Raja, who hesitated about the honeymoon, or Atul, who faced ridicule for speaking out, are silenced by societal expectations to endure abuse stoically. NCRB data from 2017–2022 shows 21,579 male suicides due to marriage-related issues, nearly comparable to 25,197 female suicides, yet male victims receive little attention. The stigma against men reporting harassment, as activist Rajesh Deshpande noted, leaves them isolated, with nowhere to turn.
The Counterargument: Protecting Women’s Rights
Women’s rights activists argue that Section 498A is vital in a country where domestic violence is rampant. The 2019–2021 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) found 32% of ever-married women faced abuse, with underreporting likely. Lawyer Sukriti Chauhan emphasizes that these laws empower women to seek justice. Low conviction rates, they argue, reflect systemic flaws like poor investigations or pressure to withdraw cases, not widespread false allegations. Diluting these laws could endanger millions of women.
A Path Forward: Balance and Compassion
The deaths of Atul Subhash, Manav Sharma, Dr. Sumit Mittal, Manjeet, and Raja Raghuvanshi demand action. The judiciary must enforce stricter scrutiny of Section 498A complaints, perhaps through Family Welfare Committees, to filter frivolous cases while protecting genuine victims. Gender-neutral domestic violence laws are overdue, recognizing men as potential victims without diminishing women’s protections. A 2023 report noted 271 cases in 2022 where women murdered husbands, often with paramours, yet no legal framework addresses this.
Society must also evolve. Men should be encouraged to report abuse without fear of mockery, and mental health support should be accessible. Raja’s murder, planned with chilling precision, and Atul’s plea to see his son remind us that these are human tragedies affecting families and children. India must confront this epidemic with compassion and reform, ensuring no one—man or woman—is left to face harassment or violence alone.