A 33-year-old field engineer from Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah died by suicide after recording a video in which he accused his wife and in-laws of harassment, threats, and filing false cases against him. The deceased, identified as Mohit Yadav, was found hanging in a hotel room near Etawah railway station on Friday evening.
According to Abhay Nath Tripathi, Superintendent of Police (City), Yadav checked into Jolly Hotel on Thursday but remained inside his room throughout the next day. Concerned hotel staff eventually discovered his body.
Engineer leaves behind emotional video: “Throw my ashes into the drain”
Before ending his life, Yadav recorded a distressing video, sharing his ordeal and alleging mental torture by his wife Priya Yadav and her family. “If I don’t get justice even after my death, throw my ashes into the drain,” he said in the clip.
Yadav, a resident of Auraiya district, worked for a cement company. He and Priya were in a relationship for seven years and married in 2023.
In the video, Yadav claimed that Priya had recently taken up a private teaching job in Bihar and was pregnant, but her mother forced her to undergo an abortion. He also accused his mother-in-law of withholding Priya’s jewellery and alleged that there were no dowry demands from his side during the marriage.
Accusations of property pressure and false dowry threats
Yadav said that his wife threatened to file a dowry case unless he transferred his house and property in her name. He added, “My wife threatened me that if I didn’t register my house and property in her name, she would implicate my family in a dowry case. Her father, Manoj Kumar, filed a false complaint, and her brother threatened to kill me.”
He further alleged that since the complaint, his wife had been fighting with him daily, with the support of her family. The video ended with Yadav apologising to his parents and asking them to dispose of his ashes if justice wasn’t served.
Calls for men’s rights laws resurface after tragedy
Yadav reflected on the lack of legal safeguards for men who face alleged false accusations from women. “By the time you get this video, I will be gone from this world. I wouldn’t have taken this step if there were a law for men. I couldn’t tolerate the harassment by my wife and her family,” he stated.
According to his brother, Tareen Pratap, Yadav had planned to travel to Kota but took an unscheduled halt in Etawah. The family was shocked to receive the video on Friday morning.
A comment from Priya Yadav and her family is still awaited.
The incident has once again sparked calls for legal reforms to protect men from false charges in domestic disputes. It follows a series of similar tragic cases, including the suicide of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash last year, which intensified discussions around men’s rights in India.
