 "Bengaluru techie's mother seeks top court's help to find missing grandson")
Anju Modi, the mother of Bengaluru-based engineer Atul Subhash, who died by suicide on December 9, has approached the Supreme Court seeking custody of her four-year-old grandson. Subhash left behind a video and written notes alleging harassment and false accusations from his estranged wife, Nikita Singhania and her family, reported NDTV.
In her petition, Anju Modi revealed that the child’s whereabouts remain unknown, despite multiple inquiries. The petition states that Nikita and her family, currently in custody, have failed to disclose where the boy is.
Nikita reportedly told police that the child is in a Faridabad boarding school under the care of her uncle, Sushil Singhania. However, Sushil has denied any knowledge of the boy’s location.
The case, now under the Supreme Court’s scrutiny, has prompted a bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice N Kotiswar Singh to issue notices to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Karnataka. Authorities have been directed to clarify the child’s whereabouts before the next hearing on January 7.
Arrests and allegations
On December 16, Karnataka Police arrested Nikita, her mother Nisha Singhania, and her brother Anurag Singhania on charges of abetment of suicide. The arrests were based on evidence, including the suicide note and video left by Subhash, which allegedly detailed the harassment he endured. All three remain in judicial custody.
Anju Modi and her family have alleged that the Singhania family not only harassed Subhash but also hindered efforts to locate the child. Subhash’s father, Pawan Kumar, has publicly demanded custody of his grandson, while the family has vowed to withhold Subhash’s ashes until justice is served.
“The others behind this incident should also be arrested,” said Subhash’s brother, Bikas Kumar. “We will not immerse the ashes until all false cases registered against us are withdrawn. Our fight will continue.”
A family divided
Meanwhile, the Singhania family is pushing back against the allegations. Senior counsel Manish Tiwary, representing Nikita’s uncle, argued in the Allahabad High Court that the accusations against Sushil were exaggerated. The court granted Sushil pre-arrest bail on December 20, citing his age (69) and health conditions, but imposed strict conditions, including Rs 50,000 bond, mandatory police interrogation availability, and surrender of his passport.
The rift between the two families has only widened, with Anju Modi expressing grave concerns about her grandson’s safety. “We have not seen recent photographs of him,” she said. “His safety is a matter of serious concern for us. We want his custody as early as possible.”