A TCS employee’s suicide in Agra has ignited a firestorm of controversy after a chilling video surfaced, in which he blamed his wife for driving him to take his life. Manav Sharma, a recruitment manager at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Mumbai, was found hanging in his Agra home on February 24, 2025, hours after returning from a trip with his wife, Nikita Sharma. The case, now under police investigation, has drawn parallels to recent high-profile techie suicides, amplifying calls for mental health support and legal protections for men.
In a nearly seven-minute video recorded before his death, discovered by his family on February 26, Sharma alleged relentless harassment by Nikita, his wife of one year. Claiming she was involved in an extramarital affair, he tearfully argued that “the law needs to protect men,” warning that without change, “there will be no men left to blame.” Showing scars from prior suicide attempts, he apologized to his parents and urged society to reconsider male victims of domestic strife. His father, Narendra Sharma, a retired Air Force officer, alleged that Nikita and her family threatened Manav with false cases, pushing him over the edge.
Police initially resisted filing a complaint amid Maha Shivratri duties on February 26, but after family pressure via the Chief Minister’s portal, a case was registered under Section 108 (abetment of suicide) against Nikita and her kin on February 27. Nikita has refuted the claims, telling media that Manav’s mental health struggles and alcohol-fueled violence were the true culprits, asserting she had saved him from suicide thrice before. Agra ASP Vinayak Gopal said the investigation, including analysis of the video, is ongoing, with no arrests as of Friday.
The viral video has fueled online outrage, with many likening it to Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash’s December 2024 suicide, where he too blamed his wife in a recorded message. TCS, India’s largest IT employer, has not commented, maintaining its silence as police probe the personal tragedy. Sharma’s death—unlike past TCS suicides tied to workplace stress—highlights a deeply personal crisis, yet its public fallout underscores broader societal tensions. As debates swirl over men’s rights and mental health, Agra awaits answers in a case that has gripped the nation.