Tue Jan 07 13:04:48 UTC 2025: ## Missing Child Found: Supreme Court to Decide Custody in Case Tied to Techie’s Suicide
**New Delhi, January [Date]** – The Supreme Court is overseeing a custody battle involving the four-year-old son of late AI techie Atul Subhash, whose suicide last December sparked national outrage. Atul’s estranged wife, Nikita Singhania, informed the court today that the child is currently at a boarding school in Faridabad, Haryana. Singhania’s lawyer stated the child will be transferred to Bengaluru to be with his mother, a condition of her bail in the abetment to suicide case against her, her mother, and brother.
Atul Subhash died by suicide after accusing Singhania and her family of harassment and filing false cases. His mother, Anju Devi, has petitioned the Supreme Court for custody of her grandson. Devi’s lawyer argued that a child under six should not be in boarding school and that she should be granted custody. However, the court noted the limited interaction between the child and his grandmother, questioning the strength of their bond.
Justice Nagarathna remarked that the child is essentially a stranger to the petitioner. While Devi’s lawyer presented photographs of interactions from when the child was two, the court emphasized that Singhania’s guilt has yet to be established and that the case cannot be decided based on media coverage.
The court directed that the child be presented at the next hearing on January 20th and clarified that the custody issue will be addressed in the appropriate lower court where the abetment to suicide trial is ongoing. The judges also stressed the need to avoid a “media trial” in determining the child’s future. The case highlights ongoing debate surrounding the potential misuse of laws designed to protect women from domestic abuse.
First Piper 