Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The rising number of male suicides in Indore, mostly over  marital discord, indicates a troubling trend. In the past nearly 10 days, four men kicked the bucket after alleged harassment by their wives.

In most of these cases, the victims left behind suicide notes, blaming their wives for their extreme step. The suicide notes and family members’ statements revealed that these men faced prolonged mental and financial distress caused by their wives and in-laws.

In one of the cases, the deceased claimed in his note that false dowry and divorce cases were being used as a weapon against him, leaving him with no way out.  

Case 4: January 29

A 28-year-old man committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance in Banganga area because his wife was blackmailing him to extort money by threatening to kill herself. To get rid of her regular threats, he chose to end his life.

According to the police, the deceased was identified as Yogesh Panwar, a resident of Kharcha. His wife Sapna of Mandsaur left her ex-husband after taking Rs 70,000 for settlement from him and married Yogesh willingly. Recently, she left Yogesh’s house and was demanding Rs 2 lakh from him after threatening him that she would kill herself if he did not pay. Fed up with her regular threats, Yogesh committed suicide.  The police registered a case against his wife for abetting his suicide.  

Case 3: January 29

A 22-year-old youth committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance in Manpur area. In his suicide note, he mentioned that he was taking the drastic step as his wife had left his home and did not return. He blamed his in-laws for his death and claimed in the note that they forced his wife to leave his house.

The deceased was identified as Anand Parmar, a resident of Khedi Sihod village. He ran a restaurant and had a love marriage around six months ago after three years of courtship. His wife had not returned home for long, which led him to take this drastic step.  

Case 2: January 20 

A 28-year-old event photographer, Nitin Padiyar, hanged himself at his residence in Banganga area after leaving a 14-page suicide note, blaming his wife and in-laws for his death. Nitin Padiyar had a love marriage with Harsha. Later, she went to her maternal home in Rajasthan and filed a divorce case, allegedly demanding maintenance and Rs 20 lakh in alimony. Nitin also appealed to the central government in his note to reform laws, claiming they were being misused by women and urged youth to marry only under legal agreements. Police registered a case against Nitin’s wife Harsha Sharma, mother-in-law Sita Sharma and sisters-in- law Meenakshi and Varsha Sharma for abetting his suicide.  

Case 1: January 18

A 40-year-old man committed suicide by hanging himself in Lasudia area. The deceased was identified as Manoj Chauhan, a resident of Ravidas Nagar. His family members said that Manoj had an argument with his wife a day before the incident.  His wife filed a complaint at the police station, after which police detained Manoj. She then went to her parents; home. Manoj was later released and returned home but was extremely tense and ended his life. Manoj had asked his wife to quit her job but she refused, leading to frequent disputes between them.  

The legal framework and societal pressure leave men helpless when facing harassment from their wives. The government should address the issue of false cases filed by female partners, which cause immense suffering to men. Additionally, legal reforms are necessary to ensure true equality, rather than inequality in the name of equality.

Initially, men resorted to anomic suicide to escape further harassment and torture. However, after the case of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash, they are now committing egoistic suicide, using their final act as a means to express their pent up emotions and ensure that their wives or culprits face the legal consequences.

Earlier, they sought to end their own suffering, but now, they aim to make their partners endure similar legal troubles even after their death. Dr Ujwal Sardesai, Psychiatrist