New Delhi: Atul Subhash, the 34-year-old deputy general manager of a private firm, died by suicide earlier this month in his Bengaluru apartment, leaving behind a 24-page suicide note, accusing his wife Nikita Singhania, and her relatives of harassment. In his suicide note, he also alleged that a judge had demanded Rs 5 lakh to “settle” the case. Three people were arrested in connection with the death case of Atul Subhash. According to the police, the other two accused, identified as Nisha Singhania, mother of Nikita Singhania, and her brother, Anurag Singhania, were arrested from Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad.
Atul and Nikita were married in 2019 and have a son together. However, they had been living separately for approximately a year following their marriage. Before his death, Atul shared a video that lasted nearly an hour and a half, in which he revealed that Nikita and her family had filed multiple false cases against him. Atul and Nikita had been living apart for several years, with their divorce proceedings ongoing. The couple was also involved in a dispute over alimony, and their case was being heard in the Family Court of Jaunpur.
Divorce is another term that has gained widespread attention recently, often linked to high-profile cases and discussions about personal relationships, legal battles, and emotional struggles. It has become a key topic in legal, social, and cultural conversations, influencing how individuals and society view marital issues and the processes involved. Unlike countries such as the US, UK, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and Iran, Portugal holds the distinction of having the highest divorce rate in the world, standing at a staggering 92%.
Unlike in the United States and European countries, divorce or separation after marriage is generally not viewed favorably in Indian society. However, over the years, the number of divorce cases has gradually risen.
According to the most recent official data from the 2011 census, over 1.36 million Indians were divorced, which constitutes 0.11% of the total population. The number of divorced women was nearly double that of men. While 452,000 men had divorced, the number of divorced women exceeded 909,000.
What’s even more surprising is that the number of people living separately after marriage was three times higher than the number of divorced individuals. Over 3.5 million people were living apart from their spouses. Among them, women outnumbered men, with nearly 2.4 million women living separately from their husbands.
The 2001 census revealed that over 3.33 million people were either divorced or living separately. By 2011, this number had surged to over 5 million, indicating a notable rise in divorce and separation cases.
In our country, cases related to divorce or separation (husbands and wives living apart) are dealt with in family courts. According to the government, there are more than 800 family courts nationwide. These courts address issues such as divorce, separation, alimony, maintenance, property disputes between spouses, and child custody.
As per the media reports, statistics reveal a consistent rise in the number of cases filed in family courts. By the end of 2023, nearly 1.15 million cases were still pending. In February of this year, the government shared details in the Lok Sabha regarding the cases filed and resolved in family courts. According to this data, family courts across the country settled 826,000 cases in 2023, averaging 2,265 cases per day. This means that, on average, 94 cases related to divorce or disputes between spouses were resolved each day, reported AajTak. In contrast, 744,000 cases were resolved in 2022.
While divorce cases and disputes between husbands and wives are on the rise in India, the divorce rate remains the lowest in the world. In India, the divorce rate stands at just around 1%, meaning only one out of every 1000 marriages ends in divorce.
Reports from the World Bank and OECD indicate that Portugal has the highest divorce rate globally, at 92%. European countries generally have the highest divorce rates, with the United States ranking 19th, where the divorce rate is 45%.
