Mumbai:
Amid an uproar over the lack of gender-neutral laws to protect men in marital disputes after the Atul Subhash case, another case of a man blaming his wife for his suicide has been reported from Mumbai. A day after Nishant Tripathi ended his life at a hotel in Vile Parle, his mother has penned an emotional note grieving her son’s death.
Neelam Chaturvedi, a women’s rights activist, has filed a complaint against her daughter-in-law Apoorva Parikh and one of her aunts Prarthana Mishra, who were named in a suicide note left by her son. They have been charged with abetment to suicide, but cops are yet to make any arrest in this regard.
“Today I feel like a living corpse,” she said in a long post on Facebook after performing her son’s last rites.
“You are seeing me as a living person, but the truth is that I am dead,” she said, introducing herself as someone who had devoted her life to women’s rights and gender equality since her teenage.
Tripathi, who worked in the filmmaking industry, was found dead in his room at the Sahara hotel last Friday, after which cops found a suicide note blaming his wife and her aunt – uploaded on his company’s website, secured with a password.
Ms Chaturvedi said her “life is over now” since her son was no more.
“My son, Nishant left me. I have now become a living corpse. He was supposed to perform my last rites but I have performed my son’s last rites today on 2nd March at “ECO-MOKSHA” Mumbai. My daughter Prachi performed her elder brother’s last rites. Give me and my daughter Prachi courage so that I can bear such a big thunderbolt,” she said.
She also shared her journey as an activist. She said she was arrested when she was 18 and “countless struggles, movements, and fight for justice” marked her activism career.
“Through Sakhi Kendra and other means, I helped more than 46,000 suffering women to overcome their problems, got justice for more than 37,000 women, and provided employment and training to thousands of women to make them self-reliant,” she said.
But there was never any greed and she did not accumulate wealth, she said, adding that she raised her two children – son Nishant and daughter Prachi – alone, without complaining.
“I never complained to God. My son, Nishant – my everything. Both my children loved me very much, but my son Nishant was my friend, companion and sympathizer. He was my strength, who gave me the energy to live and work,” said Ms Chaturvedi.
Pointing to those who turned up for his funeral, including actors and filmmakers, she said so many people considered him their family, but he did not tell anyone he was going to end his life.
Tripathi, 41, ended his life at his hotel room on February 28. The hotel staff found him dead after opening the room with a master key after not getting any response. He had allegedly checked in three days ago and hung a “Do Not Disturb” sign outside before hanging himself.
In the suicide note that he uploaded on his company’s website, he expressed his love for his wife, and held her and her aunt responsible for his death.
“By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. In my last moments, I could’ve hated you for everything that happened. But I don’t. For this moment, I choose love. I loved you then. I love you now. And as I had promised, it’s not going to fade,” read his suicide note.
It added: “My mother knows among all the other struggles I faced, you and Prarthana Mausi are also responsible for my death. So I beg you don’t approach her now. She’s broken enough. Let her grieve in peace.”