A man from Gujarat's Bhavnagar has reportedly died by suicide after posting a video in which he alleged that his wife and her family filed a false domestic violence case against him, his mother and his teenage brother.
The claims in the video are his own and have not been independently verified.
The man, identified as Vishwarajsinh Gohil, lived in the Chitra area of Bhavnagar, reported NDTV. In the Hindi-language video, he greeted viewers and said he had decided to end his life.
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He said the pressure on him was mental, financial and social.
"Today I'm going to die by suicide by jumping into a ditch. You must be wondering what happened? When you have nothing left in life, no hope...And when this arises from a good thing or relationship, it shatters your soul...We say that marriage is a sacred relationship, meant to last for lifetimes. But in today's modern age, when two people's thoughts, temperaments, and habits don't match and there are disputes or conflicts, people get divorced," he said.
Gohil said his wife's family used a complaint under Section 498A against him, his mother and his 16-year-old brother. He said the complaint alleged that the three had beaten his wife but claimed that no such incident had taken place at home.
He alleged the police registered the FIR without asking for evidence or a medical report.
"I had no idea then that such a storm was about to unfold. No such incident occurred in my home, yet the case alleges that I, my mother, and my brother assaulted and beat my wife. This is completely false and fabricated. The police don't even ask for any evidence or medical reports when registering an FIR," he added.
He said his wife's family claimed their gold was with his family, but claimed that she had worn the jewellery when she left. He said she had told her parents she did not want to go, and that society residents could testify to this.
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He alleged that his father-in-law, who he said had called himself a father figure, had instead harassed him and his family with false cases. He added that pre-litigation settlement efforts were made but did not help.
He said married life has become a source of fear among younger people, including Gen Z, and called on officials and people in Bhavnagar to reform the law. He said his family deserved justice and challenged the accusers to prove their allegations.
Gohil claimed that 90% to 92% of cases under the provision were false, without citing a source.
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Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code covers cruelty by a husband or his relatives against a married woman. It was replaced by Section 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in 2024.
Courts have voiced concern over misuse of the provision, with the Madhya Pradesh High Court once noting a trend of a "package of 5 cases" being filed against husbands and their families. Courts have also repeatedly upheld its purpose of protecting women from cruelty.
The wife's family has not responded publicly, and no police statement was available. The allegations remain untested.
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