CW: Talk of su**ide, r*pe, har*ssment among others.

You want to talk about Atul Subhash? Fine, let's talk about him. In detail. Because Second Chances wouldn't be a book about justice without discussion of topics like these and the consequences of the same, if I didn't, but that just might be my personal opinion because I created this story in hopes to deliver justice and shed light on important matters.

I'll post the important summary first before stating my own points below. Read through it with caution. 

Who is Atul Subhash?

Atul Subhash, a 34-year-old engineer from Bengaluru, died by suicide on December 9, 2024, leaving behind a 24-page suicide note and an 80-minute video alleging harassment and false accusations from his estranged wife Nikita Singhania and her family members.

Key Facts:

1. Atul Subhash accused Nikita and her family of mental harassment, physical torture, and extortion, alleging that they had filed multiple false cases against him to extort money.

2. He claimed that Nikita's family demanded Rs 3 crore in return for withdrawing the cases and an additional Rs 30 lakh for visitation rights to see their son.

3. Nikita had earlier filed a complaint against Atul, alleging physical and mental torture, and a FIR was lodged under the Dowry Prohibition Act.

4. Atul's suicide note and video accused Nikita's family of making his life miserable, and he feared that his family would also be harmed if he didn't take drastic action.

5. Atul's family, including his father Pawan Kumar and brother Bikas Kumar, have been vocal about seeking justice for Atul and have accused Nikita's family of harassment and extortion.

Legal Developments:

1. Nikita, her mother Nisha, and brother Anurag were arrested on December 16, 2024, under abetment to suicide charges.

2. Atul's brother Bikas Kumar has filed an abetment to suicide case against Nikita, her family members, and a judge who allegedly favored Nikita's family.

3. The Supreme Court has taken cognizance of the case, issuing notices to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Karnataka to clarify the situation.

4. A habeas corpus petition has been filed by Atul's mother, Anju Modi, seeking custody of her 4-year-old grandson, whose whereabouts are unknown.

5. The Karnataka Police are investigating the case, and the Supreme Court has directed them to recover the missing child and submit a report by January 7, 2025.

6. The investigation is ongoing, and further developments are expected in the coming weeks.

7. Activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj has demanded justice for Atul Subhash and has been vocal about the need to address the issue of men's rights and the misuse of laws.

My notes:

I am late to this discussion but I had to speak up about this. Where do I even begin?

It's just... so devastating. I initially started as a staunch feminist in 2019 end, around the time lockdown was starting. I was all about women's rights and never once thought that there could be cases that could happen the other way.

That is until I connected with an online friend, over feminism, and what they revealed sent me down a chilling spiral. I cannot even put it to words how they were physically and mentally tortured on their school grounds, to the extent of being sold for a penny. 

Over the years, I heard multiple gruesome stories of men who were exploited either by men or women or even both in some cases, who never found justice. I'm shivering as I even writing this post... The amount of men who have been through hell and never told people is devastating, and that doesn't even cut it! I have heard from other readers too, it's so so so tragic. 

I know a lot of posts beneath feminism posts being "not all men" was responded with "but enough men to cause damage" and how Kolkata case went viral (for valid reasons) but almost no one is willing to talk about Atul's case, and some people are even doubling down on how there are women who face these kind of issues in real too. Some more are starting with comments of "not all women" and the same, "but enough women to cause damage". 

Are you seeing the problem? Instead of being allowed the space to talk about things, we're shutting the other group down. But while I am not saying we should dismiss women's issues, there are men who are suffering too and they have almost no laws that protect them! 

And that's the thing about intersectional justice—it's not about pitting one group against the other, it's about acknowledging that EVERYONE deserves to feel safe and protected.  

There was also this another case of a female content creator accusing AJ Bhairav (I am sure you've heard his name) of being a potential r*pist. Why? Because he posted about traditional values, of saving yourself for marriage and learn the truth of life, rather than chasing the neon signs. While I don't always support AJ, since he can sometimes be a little toxic, but the other times, he means well and getting such a label for promoting good... that's questionable.

Then came the shock when I re-read The Kite Runner when I was older. I had read it when I was younger and I didn't quite understand what it was about but when I was older, oh boy, it hit like a train wreck. That was also part of the reason why I started writing Second Chances. 

A male character is forced, and though, on the surface, it looks like he was into it, he was not and while what he interpreted he heard wasn't exactly what was spoken, i have tried to show what it's like to be in that situation and how your cognitive dissonance can try to fit the most absurd statements into logical ones.

(A personal anecdote would be when I was in a particular precarious situation, I could've sworn the conversation that was exchanged between two people was about something else, but at the moment, it felt like it was about me, and worse of all, about... a business surrounding targets, if you know what I mean.)

Anyway, back to the story, this leads down to a path of searching and corporation exposition among other things and ultimate hope that things will be alright and the right person will be punished. But justice is like a weapon, it can only avenge for the victim, not protect people, and hence, the damages are quite the more brutal.

❝Justice is a weapon; it can be used to cause harm but it cannot protect or save others.❞
- Dazai Osamu, Bungo Stray Dogs

(taken from the profile of Tara676 . thanks for the quote, love)

Back to Atul's case: What happened to him was brutal and cannot be forgiven and just let go. It's simply not fair that a man who did no harm be punished like this. Justice is due, and it's about time we start seeing men as humans too, not some super-privileged humans who can survive everything. And stop seeing women as being the only target of vicious crimes. Both cases are in plenty and if we started counting them, it'd be a whole can of worms, but EVERYONE should feel safe. But in a place like India? The hopes are only diminishing.

BUT—just because I am talking of men and women, it doesn't mean it doesn't extend to other oppressed groups—everyone, regardless of caste, color, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, financial status or nationality DESERVES justice, peace and safety.

In conclusion, I could go about this forever, but what I want to say is, justice is important for both men and women and while justice can only do so much, we need to make sure it's a safe space for everyone involved.