More than 81,000 married men died by suicide in India in 2021, according to the NCRB data cited in a Supreme Court petition.
Now, a case from Gorakhpur is bringing that conversation back into focus.
Before disappearing into Kusmhi jungle, 33-year-old engineer Pradyumn Yadav uploaded a video on WhatsApp.
In it, he spoke about emotional stress, court battles, and a fight he said he could no longer continue.
Hours later, police found his body near Budhiya Mata temple.
A Video Before The End
Before his death, Pradyumn recorded a video message.
“It was not my time to die. My wife’s atrocities broke me. I have suffered a lot in life,” he said.
He also spoke about his parents and apologised for the pain his death would cause them.
“I lost the battle of life,” he added.
According to reports, Pradyumn uploaded the video to his WhatsApp status before ending his life.
Police later recovered his body from the Kusmhi jungle area near Budhiya Mata temple.
From Marriage To Courtrooms
Pradyumn Yadav married Arpita Yadav on 2 June 2017. The couple had a five-year-old daughter.
According to information shared by his family and mentioned in reports, Arpita stayed at his family home for only a few months after marriage. Later, Pradyumn took her to Delhi, where he was working.
The marriage reportedly became unstable soon after.
His family alleged that there were repeated disputes between the couple. They also claimed that Arpita once tried to strangulate him while they were living in Delhi.
After that incident, she allegedly returned to her parents’ home.
What followed was years of legal conflict.
Pradyumn’s family alleged that his wife filed dowry harassment, maintenance and other cases against him. They claimed the engineer spent nearly six years attending court hearings while balancing work responsibilities.
“Every Hearing Increased His Stress”
On 12 May, Pradyumn attended another hearing in Padrauna court.
The next hearing date was set for 21 July.
According to family members, the continuation of the legal process deeply affected him. They said he frequently had to take leave from work to appear in court and remained under constant stress.
After the hearing, he was expected to return to Indore for work.
But on the way, he stopped at Budhiya Mata temple.
He prayed there, entered the nearby Kusmhi jungle, recorded his final video, and later died by suicide.
Police Action So Far
Police have started investigating the case.
According to reports, Pradyumn’s wife has been arrested after the video surfaced online. Investigators are examining the allegations mentioned in the video and statements given by family members.
Officials are also reviewing the legal disputes between the couple as part of the investigation.
The case has triggered strong reactions online, especially around the emotional toll of prolonged matrimonial disputes and court proceedings.
The Larger Debate Around Married Men And Suicide
In 2023, a petition in the Supreme Court sought guidelines for married men facing domestic stress and demanded a National Commission for Men. It cited NCRB data showing married men formed a significant share of suicide deaths in India.
However, the Supreme Court refused to entertain the plea.
Justice Surya Kant called it a “one-sided” picture and questioned whether equal attention was being given to women dying soon after marriage.
The debate remains polarised.
Some argue men facing emotional abuse, false allegations, or long legal battles lack support. Others say dowry and domestic violence laws exist because women have historically faced systemic abuse within marriages.
Between both arguments lies a larger issue: mental health support for people trapped in high-conflict marriages.
