Bengaluru software engineer's suicide: Legal provisions misused for personal vendettas, humiliation?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*

A young software engineer in Bengaluru recently took his own life, reportedly due to the immense stress caused by a marital dispute with his wife. Before his death, he left a detailed video and a lengthy note describing the harassment he and his family allegedly faced. This tragic incident is one of many that highlight deeper social crises in India, where legal provisions are sometimes misused for personal vendettas or humiliation.

India's patriarchal structure persists, but it is often perpetuated by those who are considered "oppressed," as they sometimes exploit it when opportunities arise. While our society undoubtedly benefits men, attempts to establish equality have largely failed. This failure stems from the fact that we still function as collectivist communities rather than as individuals. While the Constitution guarantees equality, societal norms continue to reinforce inequality—whether in life, marriage, or even death.

This inequality often leads to false allegations and emotional exploitation. It is crucial for laws to be gender-neutral, but it is equally important for judges and decision-makers to approach cases with genuine gender sensitivity. This does not mean ignoring grave realities but rather balancing fairness and understanding.

Financial considerations also play a significant role in such disputes. Legal cases, especially those involving marital conflicts, often become tools for harassment. Lawyers, in some instances, exacerbate the problem by encouraging clients to demand exorbitant compensations. This dynamic primarily benefits lawyers rather than the parties involved, with district and high court cases often proving particularly lucrative for attorneys handling marital disputes.

Family courts, intended to resolve such issues, frequently fall short. They often urge women to compromise rather than address the root problems. For determined individuals, reaching a resolution can take years, only to face further challenges if the decision is contested.

Our society is fraught with contradictions. Cultural values place men in dominant positions, but the Constitution guarantees equality. Unfortunately, many only invoke constitutional rights in desperate times while otherwise adhering to traditional social norms. Marginalized rural women, constrained by patriarchy and caste discrimination, often cannot access courts due to financial and social barriers. Meanwhile, the middle and upper classes use legal systems to maximize gains, turning personal disputes into prolonged legal battles.

Marriage should be built on equality, and separation should be a straightforward and dignified process. The stigma attached to divorce often leads to exaggerated accusations and excessive demands for compensation, which can financially ruin the other party. Many cases of marital discord remain unreported, leaving people to suffer in silence.

To prevent such tragedies, society must encourage honest negotiations and introduce binding agreements before marriage. While painful, separation is sometimes necessary and should be facilitated peacefully. Marriages often falter due to unmet expectations, financial disputes, and societal pressures like dowry demands.

The current system is leading to devastating outcomes, including suicides and even violent acts. It is essential to address these issues with transparency and fairness, ensuring that legal and societal structures do not push individuals to the brink. Marriage and separation should prioritize the dignity and well-being of both partners, fostering a culture of respect, fairness, and equality.

---

*Human rights defender

Comments

The golden crop: How turmeric is transforming women's lives in tribal India

By Vikas Meshram* When the lush green fields of turmeric sway in the tribal belt of southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it is not merely a spice crop — it is the golden glow of self-reliance. In villages where even basic spices once had to be bought from the market, the very soil today is yielding a prosperity that has transformed the lives of thousands of families. At the heart of this transformation is the initiative of Vaagdhara, which has linked turmeric with livelihoods, nutrition, and village self-governance — gram swaraj.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Authoritarian destruction of the public sphere in Ecuador: Trumpism in action?

By Pilar Troya Fernández The situation in Ecuador under Daniel Noboa's government is one of authoritarianism advancing on several fronts simultaneously to consolidate neoliberalism and total submission to the US international agenda. These are not isolated measures, but rather a coordinated strategy that combines job insecurity, the dismantling of the welfare state, unrestricted access to mining, the continuation of oil exploitation without environmental considerations, the centralization of power through the financial suffocation of local governments, and the systematic criminalization of all forms of opposition and popular organization.

Echoes of Vietnam and Chile: The devastating cost of the I-A Axis in Iran

By Ram Puniyani The recent joint military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran have been devastating. Like all wars, this conflict is brutal to its core, leaving a trail of human suffering in its wake. The stated pretext for this aggression—the brutality of the Ayatollah Khamenei regime and its nuclear ambitions—clashes sharply with the reality of the diplomatic landscape. Iran had expressed a willingness to remain at the negotiating table, signaling a readiness to concede points emerging from dialogue.

False claim? What Venezuela is witnessing is not surrender but a tactical retreat

By Manolo De Los Santos The early morning hours of January 3, 2026, marked an inflection point in Venezuela and Latin America’s centuries-long struggle for self-determination and independence. Operation Absolute Resolve, ordered by the Trump administration, constituted the most brutal and direct military assault on a sovereign state in the region in recent memory. In a shocking operation that left hundreds dead, President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were illegally kidnapped from Venezuelan soil and transported to the United States, where they now face fabricated charges in a New York federal detention facility. In the two months since this act of war, a torrent of speculation has emerged from so-called experts and pundits across the political spectrum. This has followed three main lines: One . The operation’s success indicated treason at the highest levels of the Bolivarian Revolution. Two . Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and the remaining leadership have abandone...

The selective memory of a violent city: Uttam Nagar and the invisible victims of Delhi

By Sunil Kumar* Hundreds of murders take place in Delhi every year, yet only a few incidents become topics of nationwide discussion. The question is: why does this happen? Today, the incident in Uttam Nagar has become the centre of national debate. A 26-year-old man, Tarun Kumar, was killed following a dispute that reportedly began after a balloon hit a small child. In several colonies of Delhi, slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Vande Mataram” are being raised while demanding the death penalty for Tarun’s killers. As a result, nearly 50,000 residents of Hastsal JJ Colony are now living in what resembles a state of confinement.

The price of silence: Why Modi won’t follow Shastri, appeal for sacrifice

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey* In 1965, as India grappled with war and a crippling food crisis, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri faced a United States that used wheat shipments under the PL-480 agreement as a lever to dictate Indian foreign policy. Shastri’s response remains legendary: he appealed to the nation to skip one meal a day. Millions of middle-class households complied, choosing temporary hunger over the sacrifice of national dignity. Today, India faces a modern equivalent in the energy sector, yet the leadership’s response stands in stark contrast to that era of self-reliance.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

Search This Blog