Rishi Trivedi, a 34-year-old man from the district of Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh, took his own life with his wife by his side. He was hounded by social media to reflect on Atul Subhash’s suicide, the techie fromBengaluru who “hanging in there” no more, allegedly due to harassment by his wife, spawned the hashtag #JusticeForRishi.
Rishi’s brother, Omji Trivedi, took to social media to share the heartbreaking story of his brother’s final days, alleging that Rishi was driven to suicide by relentless harassment from his wife, Shikha Awasthi. Omji claimed that Rishi had left behind a video blaming his wife for his death. “Like Atul Subhash, my brother also became frustrated enough to kill himself in the face of unbearable harassment by his wife, Shikha Awasthi. He took his life on December 27, 2023, when he couldn’t take her cruelty anymore,” Omji wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Like Atul Subhash, my brother was also driven to take his own life due to unbearable harassment by his wife, Shikha Awasthi. On December 27, 2023, he committed suicide, unable to bear her cruelty anymore. #JusticeforRishi #ArrestShikhaAwasthi #JusticeForAtulSubhash pic.twitter.com/NJzXtPg4KS
— Omji Trivedi (@KarnTheReviewer) December 10, 2024
As stated by Omji, things started going wrong very soon after Rishi got married. He alleged that Shikha had stolen jewelry just days after their marriage and, within weeks, her behavior turned abusive. Omji claimed that Shikha deprived Rishi of basic needs like food, sleep, and peace. Further on, he described an incident wherein Shikha humiliated Rishi publically by throwing her saree at him and threatening him to “hang himself with this“. Rishi was found dead four days after his allegedhumiliation by hanging himself in the same saree she had thrown at him.
Omji also accused Shikha of demanding ₹5 lakh from their family, threatening to prevent Rishi’s last rites if they did not comply. Despite filing a complaint with the police, Omji said no action was taken. “She insulted us in public and tried to extort money. The law has failed us,” Omji lamented.
The Trivedi family has suffered not only the pain of losing Rishi but also harassment, Omji said. He charged that Shikha‘s family was backing her behavior and piling more pressure on the already grief-stricken family. “Even now, she is only after money, and the law has failed to hold her accountable,” Omji added.
The tragic case of Rishi Trivedi has raised questions about the misuse of laws against men, with several social media users expressing support for the family and calling for legislative reforms to protect men from such injustices.
Rishi’s suicide comes on the heels of another high-profile case: the death of Atul Subhash, a 34-year-old engineer from Bihar who died by suicide in Bengaluru. Like Rishi, alleged harassment by his wife and her family has been reported to be the reason behind Atul’s tragic end. Atul‘s brother, Bikas Kumar, lodged a police complaint stating that Atul‘s wife and her family were demanding ₹3 crore for a settlement and had been filing false cases against him. In a 24-page note purportedly left behind by Atul, it is said that he had named his estranged wife and her family as the reason for his unrest. Here portedly said they had made his life unbearable.
Both cases have sparked outrage online with netizens demanding justice for the victims and raising their voices concerning the plight of men who silently suffer from domestic abuse. The #JusticeForRishi and #JusticeForAtul hashtags are trending as users proclaim support for the grieving families and plead for stronger measures to be taken against such tragedies.
In the wake of the Atul Subhash suicide, four people, including Nikita Singhania, Atul’s wife, have been booked under sections regarding suicide and criminal conspiracy. The investigation into allegations is still going on. However, the demand of the public for immediate, decisive action grows day after day.
The deaths of Rishi Trivedi and Atul Subhash reflect a dark reality where personal tragedies are compounded by societal and legal failures. As the families of both men continue to seek justice, their stories have shed light on the need for reforms to ensure that both men and women are treated fairly under the law.
These tragic incidents are a reminder of the fact that harassment and abuse, irrespective of gender, are destructive. Investigations are ongoing, and hopefully, justice will be served, and such tragedies willnot occur again in the future.
