Supreme Court issues 8-point guidelines for deciding alimony amid techie suicide case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has outlined an eight-point framework for determining alimony amounts, amidst growing discussions around the misuse of dowry laws following the suicide of Bengaluru-based techie Atul Subhash.
Atul Subhash, a native of Bihar, died by suicide after reportedly facing harassment from his wife and in-laws. Before his death, he left behind an 80-minute video and a 24-page note accusing his estranged wife, Nikita Singhania, and her family of using multiple legal cases to extort money from him and his family.
While addressing a divorce case on Tuesday, a bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice PV Varale directed courts across the country to consider the following eight factors when determining permanent alimony:
1. Social and economic status of the husband and wife.
2. Basic future needs of the wife and children.
3. Qualifications and employment status of both parties.
4. Sources of income and property.
5. Wife’s standard of living during her stay with in-laws.
6. Whether the wife left her job to manage the family.
7. Reasonable expenses for legal battles for a non-working wife.
8. Husband’s financial status, including earnings and responsibilities alongside alimony.
The court clarified that these guidelines are not a rigid formula but serve as considerations to ensure a fair and equitable decision. It emphasised that alimony should not impose an undue burden on the husband but should enable the wife to maintain a decent standard of living.
Earlier in the day, another Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh, dismissed a dowry case, noting that Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code—meant to address cruelty by husbands and their relatives—is sometimes misused for personal vendetta.
The case of Atul Subhash has reignited debates over the misuse of dowry laws in India. In his suicide note, Subhash repeatedly wrote, “Justice is Due.”
Atul and Nikita had met through a matchmaking website and married in 2019. They became parents to a son in 2020. According to Subhash, his wife’s family allegedly demanded money amounting to several lakhs. After he refused, his wife reportedly left their Bengaluru home with their son in 2021. Subhash alleged that her family initially sought ₹1 crore to settle the case, later increasing the demand to ₹3 crore.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
