Treated cruelly by wife, techie ends life

Allegedly hounded by a greedy and cruel wife, who was fully supported by her parents, a 32-year-old techie ended his life by consuming a full bottle of anti-depressant tablets here on Monday.

Shubhankar Katyayan was married to Nandini, 27, also a software engineer, for the past two years. Their marriage was registered and solemnised here. Although the two hailed from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, they had been working in Bangalore after their arranged marriage.

The couple had taken up a rented house at Rajajinagar. They worked for different multinational software companies. Before Shubhankar left for the United Kingdom on a company assignment early this year, he was happy to learn that Nandini was pregnant.

Soon thereafter, Nandini also left for an overseas assignment.

She returned to India a couple of months later and left for Jamshedpur to live with her parents. Shubhankar and Nandini were in touch over e-mail. But, differences cropped up when he failed to return to be at her side during delivery.

But, Shubhankar managed to take leave and returned to Jamshedpur to see his newly born son, Purunjay. Recounting the events prior to Shubhankar’s death, a close relative told Deccan Herald: “Soon after returning to Jamshedpur, Nandini and her parents began ill-treating him.” Shubhankar allegedly fell at their feet, begging to let him see his child.

Though later he was allowed to see their son, his in-laws convinced him to return to Bangalore on the assurance that Nandini would follow soon. He found to his consternation that his in-laws had taken a separate house for Nandini on rent on Gangadhar Chettiar Road under Commercial Street police station limits.

Since their marriage was floundering, the couple decided to settle for a mutually agreed upon divorce.

Shubhankar’s lawyer Anand said the divorce petition (MC1732/09) was filed on June 24, 2009. In the judicial separation petition posted for hearing on January 1, 2010, Nandini had claimed Purunjay’s custody and return of all gifts she received at her wedding.

On July 14, Nandini’s mother Anmana Jha lodged a complaint with the Commercial Street police, alleging that Shubhankar, demanding dowry, had assaulted and attempted to kill her daughter. A number of criminal cases were also lodged against him. He was arrested and produced at the magistrate’s court on July 19. The magistrate directed the police to investigate the matter, and he was sent to Parappana Aghrahara Central jail. Anand said Shubhankar was virtually a broken man in jail and had undergone treatment. Last Saturday, he consumed a bottle of anti-depressant tablets. The authorities rushed him to Victoria Hospital in a critical condition where he died. The authorities refused to hand over the body till Nandini gave her consent. Finding her house locked, the police allowed the release of the body.

A day after the body was taken to Jamshedpur for cremation, Shubhankar was granted bail. His parents, Sunkantha and Narmada Devi and his younger brother, Diwakar, were granted anticipatory bail. When this correspondent met Nandini at her residence on Tuesday night, she said she would not comment on the issue without consulting her advocate.