Lucknow:
A 28-year-old cafe owner died by allegedly falling from a balcony in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow. The mother of the man has accused his girlfriend, a social media influencer, of blackmailing and assaulting him over several months.
Shiva Sharma died Friday night after falling from a balcony in the Hazratganj area, according to his mother, Ranjana Sharma. She has alleged that her son’s girlfriend, Shraddha Dubey, had been threatening to circulate obscene videos of him and defame him, and that he had been subjected to physical violence during their relationship.
The FIR names Dubey, her sister Rashmi Dubey, a driver identified as Danish, an associate named Adil and other unidentified individuals as accused. A murder case has been registered in connection with the incident.
According to Ranjana Sharma’s complaint, the sequence of events began around 9 pm on Saturday, when Dubey telephoned her and said that Shiva had fallen from her balcony and was being taken to hospital.
The mother said she called again and was told that Dubey’s driver had taken her son to a hospital. Dubey also provided her with the driver’s telephone number, according to the complaint.
When Ranjana Sharma reached the emergency department of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow, she found a private ambulance parked there. A young man named Danish was standing near the ambulance and identified himself as Dubey’s driver, she alleged.
The mother claimed that when she questioned him about what had happened to her son, he denied having any knowledge of the incident and left the body there. Shiva was subsequently taken into the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The circumstances surrounding the fall, including what happened before Shiva was taken to hospital, remain under investigation.
Ranjana Sharma has accused Dubey of blackmailing her son for approximately four months, allegedly threatening to circulate obscene videos of him and damage his reputation.
She alleged that their relationship had become a source of pressure for her son, who was threatened and physically assaulted during this period.
Ranjana Sharma said she had noticed injury marks on Shiva’s body on previous occasions. Whenever she asked him about them, however, he would avoid discussing the matter, she alleged. The mother further claimed that Dubey pressured Shiva to remain with her and threatened him when he did not comply with her demands.
Ranjana Sharma also described a meeting between her son and Dubey at a Hanuman temple in Hazratganj, which she said took place approximately 20 to 25 days before his death. According to the mother, Shiva had arranged the meeting. When she asked Dubey about the possibility of marriage, Dubey agreed, she alleged.
The mother said she subsequently suggested that the couple hold a small ceremony with the consent of both families. However, Ranjana Sharma alleged that Dubey’s behaviour became more aggressive after the discussion about marriage.
She also referred to an occasion when Shiva returned home for the death anniversary of his father. During that period, Dubey allegedly telephoned him repeatedly and threatened to implicate him in a theft case if he did not return to her.
Ranjana Sharma has alleged that her son’s body bore multiple injuries, including cigarette burn marks on his ribs, shoulders, arms and thighs.
She also claimed that Shiva had sustained serious injuries to his jaw and that there was bleeding from his eyes, ears and nose.
The mother said the injuries led her to suspect that her son had been assaulted before his death.
A post-mortem report is awaited, police said.
(With inputs from Vivek Shahi)
