In his 24-page death note, Atul Subhash has cited two instances of conversations at the family court during his divorce proceedings that allegedly drove him to the edge and led him to take an extreme step

The Union Cabinet has cleared bills required to implement the ‘one nation, one election‘ proposal – which proposes simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and, at a later stage, municipal polls too – sources told NDTV Thursday afternoon. These bills – which look to amend at least five Articles of the Constitution – will likely be introduced in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, sources added.

The bills were cleared at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Among those approved was an amendment to Article 82, which deals with state-wise allocation of Lok Sabha seats, and division of states into territorial constituencies, after each national census.

Two bills will alter the duration and dissolution of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

A second amendment relates to linking tenures of the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, while there will also be changes to provisions in three laws, each looking to align the legislative assemblies of three union territories – Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir – with those of states and the Lok Sabha.

These are not expected to require ratification by at least 50 per cent of the states, sources said.

However, any move to hold local body polls with those for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will require ratification by at least 50 per cent of the latter, as it deals with matters relating to state affairs.

NDTV Explains | ‘One Nation, One Election’. What Is It And How It Can Work

Legal experts have warned that failure to do so will leave the proposal open to attack on charges of violating India’s federal structure. 

The Kovind Panel Report

On Wednesday former President Ram Nath Kovind, who leads the panel tasked with making ‘one nation, one election’ a reality – called on the government and the states to build a consensus. “This issue is not in the interest of any one party… but the nation. It will be a game-changer,” he said.

Economists consulted had predicted a 1 to 1.5 per cent boost in GDP, he declared.

In September the Cabinet had cleared the Kovind panel’s report.

READ | “Unanimous… Need Simultaneous Polls”: NDTV Accesses Report

The panel – which includes Home Minister Amit Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal as members – had said “there is unanimous opinion that simultaneous polls should be held”.

READ | In Big Step For Simultaneous Polls, 1 Nation, 1 Election’ Cleared

Simultaneous polls will “transform the electoral process (and) governance” and “optimise scarce resources”, the panel had said, noting that 32 parties and prominent judicial figures, including former Supreme Court Chief Justices and High Court judges, had backed this measure.

Among the advantages claimed were that it makes the electoral process easier, and that synchronising will also boost economic growth; the argument was that a single round of elections will allow businesses and corporate firms to take decisions without fear of adverse policy changes.

The ‘one nation, one election’ push will also “prevent policy paralysis”, and do away with the “atmosphere of uncertainty” due to frequent elections, the government had in turn argued.

Challenges To ‘One Nation, One Election’

Apart from syncing electoral cycles with minimum disruption to governance (and ensuring all political parties are onboard), there is still no real clarity on how to deal with breaks due to dissolution of Houses, President’s Rule, or even a hung Assembly or Parliament.

NDTV Explains | ‘One Nation, One Election’. What Are Pros And Cons?

Regional parties have also pointed out their limited resources means they may not be able to spotlight local issues to voters, as effectively as they might, in the face of better-funded parties trying to grab attention for the Lok Sabha election.

READ | Rs 10,000 Crore Every 15 Years – Cost Of One Nation, One Election

Another area of concern is the recurring cost of procuring EVMS, or electronic voting machines. This, the poll panel has said, will be nearly Rs 10,000 crore every 15 years.

What Does The Public Say?

The ‘One Nation, One Election’ panel received nearly 21,000 suggestions from the public, of which over 81 per cent were in favour, news agency PTI said in January.

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In the 24-page note prepared by AI engineer Atul Subhash before he died by suicide, he detailed two alleged conversations with his wife Nikita Singhania and mother-in-law Nisha Singhania that drove him to the edge. In one of them, he alleged, his mother-in-law asked, “You haven’t died by suicide yet? I thought I would get the news today.”

The two conversations that the 34-year-old described as “instigation for suicide” took place at the Jaunpur family court where the couple’s divorce proceedings were on.

The first exchange, dated March 21 this year, was inside the judge’s room. When the judge asked Atul and Nikita why they were not settling the case, he replied, “Ma’am, they first demanded Rs 1 crore, after your interim maintenance order, they are asking for Rs 3 crore.”

According to Atul’s note, the judge replied, “You must have Rs 3 crore. That’s why they are asking.”

“Ma’am, please see the petition, the allegations they have levelled against me and my family. So many cases… They are not letting me meet my child. She left home of her own accord. She is harassing me and my family. I have to come from Bengaluru to Jaunpur,” Atul told the judge. The judge then said, “So what if she has filed cases, she is your wife.”

Atul’s note said that he then raised suicide by men due to false cases filed under laws protecting women from cruelty by husbands and their relatives. “Ma’am, if you see the NCRB data, lakhs of men are dying by suicide due to false cases.”

Atul alleged that Nikita, at this point, told him, “So why don’t you die by suicide?” The judge laughed at this and asked her to leave the room. After she left, Atul alleges, the judge asked him to settle the cases against him and his family and demanded Rs 5 lakh. When he said he did not have the money, but evidence against his wife, the judge allegedly asked him to leave.

The second exchange described as “instigation of suicide” occurred on April 10. Outside the courtroom, Atul alleged, his mother-in-law Nisha Singhania asked him, “You did not die by suicide yet? I thought I would get news of your suicide today. You told judge you would die by suicide.”

Atul replied, “How would you all party if I die?” Nisha Singhania allegedly replied with a smile, “Your father will pay. Everything owned by the husband belongs to the wife. After you die, your parents will die soon. The daughter-in-law has her share. Your whole family will make the rounds of court.”

Atul has said he was “frustrated” after the exchanges and “understood that I have become the very source of all the evil”. “The more I work hard and become better at my work, the more I and my family will be harassed and extorted and the whole legal system will encourage and help my harassers. It seems that Devi Saraswati herself made my mother-in-law disclose her plans and the solution of all the problems too. This incident along with instigation to commit suicide from my wife Nikita Singhania and the face of the laughing Judge Rita Kaushik mocking my helplessness has rendered my faith in legal system destroyed and has prompted my action of committing suicide. Now, with me gone, there won’t be any money and there won’t be any reason to harass my old parents and my brother. I may have destroyed my body but it has saved everything I believe in.”

Following his death by suicide at his Bengaluru home on Monday, his brother Bikas Kumar filed an abetment to suicide complaint. Bengaluru Police have registered a case and a probe is on.

Atul’s family has said he was under severe stress due to the long legal fight and had to travel from Bengaluru to Jaunpur as many as 40 times since the divorce proceedings began.

In his suicide note, Atul also criticised the justice system and said it was unfairly tilted to favour women. He has also left a letter addressed to his four-year-old son, asking him not to trust the “system”. The letter also has advice many may find problematic and sexist, apparently reflecting Atul’s distress.

Besides Nikita Singhania. her mother Nisha, brother Anurag and uncle Sushil Singhania are accused in the abetment to suicide case. While Nisha, her mother and her brother have not directly responded to the allegations yet, her uncle Sushil Singhania has said, “I came to know from media reports that I have been named in the FIR. But I have no connection with this. The (divorce) case proceedings have been on for the past three years. Now suddenly this has happened. Our family is not guilty. The court will deliver its judgment.

“Subhash’s allegations are baseless. Nikita is not here. Once she returns, she will respond to everything. She has an answer to every allegation they have made. I live separately. I am her uncle, but I don’t have much information about the case. They have been handling it,” he said.

Nikita’s lawyer has said the couple’s relationship fell apart due to interference from Atul’s family. “They wanted to separate and mediation proceedings were on,” lawyer Sanjiv Singh has said.