'If only there was a law for men too...': UP engineer dies by suicide; says wife, in-laws harassed him for property

The deceased Mohit's brother Taran claimed that he often complained that his in-laws pressured him to transfer ownership of his house and land in his wife's name.

Etawah (UP): In a case similar to that of techie Atul Subhash, a 33-year-old engineer allegedly died by suicide in a hotel room near Etawah railway station after sending a video message to his parents in which he accused his wife and in-laws of mentally harassing him over property issues.

"If only there was a law for men too. If I don't get justice, immerse my ashes in a drain," Mohit Yadav said in the video message.

The deceased, Mohit Yadav, hailed from Nagla Prasadpur village in the Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh. According to his brother Taran Pratap, Mohit was employed at a private company in Noida, where he met Priya. After a long live-in relationship, the couple married on November 27, 2023, with the consent of both families and without any dowry. After marriage, Mohit and his wife lived separately from their families.

Taran claimed that Mohit often complained that his in-laws pressured him to transfer ownership of his house and land in his wife's name.

He also alleged that his wife frequently quarrelled with him over the property.

Mohit had informed his brother that Priya’s father Anuj Kumar had lodged a false police complaint against him, and her brother had threatened to kill him if he did not comply with their property demands.

Also, Mohit's mother-in-law allegedly forced Priya to abort her three-month-old pregnancy, Taran claimed.

On Thursday, Mohit left home saying he would stop at Etawah for a couple of days, police said. He checked into a hotel near the railway station at around 12.05 am and booked a room for two nights.

Mohit did not leave his room or order any food throughout Friday. The concerned hotel staff knocked on the door on Friday evening but received no response. When calls to Mohit’s phone went unanswered, they alerted the police.

Civil Lines Station House Officer Vikram Singh Chauhan said the police broke open the door and found Mohit hanging from the ceiling fan with a bedsheet. A laptop and mobile phone were recovered from the room but no suicide note was found.

Senior police officials, including Superintendent of Police (City) Abhay Nath Tripathi and Circle Officer (City) Ramgopal Sharma, reached the site. Forensic evidence was collected from the room and the police contacted Mohit's family using the last dialled number on his phone.

Taran Pratap said the family received a video from Mohit before he allegedly died by suicide in which he accused his wife and in-laws of mentally harassing him over property issues and threatening to kill him.

He expressed regret over not being able to make his father proud and requested that his ashes be discarded in a drain if justice was not served.

SHO Singh said that Mohit’s body was handed over to his family after post-mortem on Saturday evening. He said a detailed probe is on.

Atul Subhash, 34, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh, ended his life in December in Bengaluru, alleging harassment by his estranged wife and her family.

His body was found hanging at his residence and a placard reading "Justice is due" was found in the room.

Before taking the extreme step, he recorded an over 80-minute video explaining the circumstances behind his decision.The video, which went viral on social media platforms, sparked calls for justice for the techie.