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Bangalore/Jamshedpur, Aug. 12: An online marriage portal had brought Jamshedpur youth Subhankar Katyayan and Vadodara girl Nandini Jha (in picture) together two years ago.
On Saturday, months after they failed the compatibility test, the software professional died a lonely death in a Bangalore prison, triggering a controversy over whether it is a case of suicide or custodial death.
The 33-year-old MCA graduate, working for Tata Consultancy Services, was arrested on July 20 for allegedly harassing his wife and attempting to murder her. He went into depression awaiting a hearing on his bail plea and was admitted to the jail hospital on Friday.
Jail officials said Subhankar took an overdose of anti-depressants he had been prescribed. But his family has refused to buy the explanation. They have decided to move the National Human Rights Commission for a probe into what they suspect to be a case of custodial death.
According to Bangalore police, Nandini’s mother, Neelam Behan, lodged a complaint with the police on June 12, accusing Shubhankar of assaulting her daughter and “creating a scene”. The techie was also accused of asking for money from Nandini’s family and sending her obscene emails. Nandini had even initiated divorce proceedings.
The two had got married in 2007 and stayed at Rajajinagar in Bangalore for some six months before Shubhankar left for Canada on a year’s assignment. According to the police, the two had many a spat, including one over whether their child should be born in Vadodara or in Shubhankar’s parents’ house at Namda Bustee in Golmuri, Jamshedpur.
The techie’s visit to Nandini’s house after their son, now seven-months-old, was born had ended up with the local police having to work out a compromise between them.
Three months ago, Nandini returned to Bangalore with her son, but stayed in a separate house. The couple was called in for a session of counselling by the Bangalore police after Nandini’s family complained of harassment.
Subhankar’s brother Diwakar denied the allegations. “My brother was very depressed when I met him at the Bangalore Central Jail on August 6. The jail authorities did not inform us about he being taken to hospital. Moreover, we were informed about his death more than 12 hours late. My parents are in a state of shock,” said Diwakar, who was to meet Subhankar again on August 10.
The techie’s body was flown in from Bangalore on Monday night. His last rites were performed on Tuesday at the burning ghat in Sitaramdera.
Family members are waiting for the autopsy report, expected to arrive tomorrow, to pursue their case.