LUCKNOW: A video reportedly recorded in May showing Lucknow restaurateur Shiva Sharma with model and social media influencer Shraddha Dubey has surfaced amid the ongoing investigation into his death, adding a fresh dimension to the high-profile case.The CCTV footage, which has gone viral on social media, is reportedly from Awadh Green Apartment and shows Shraddha’s sister, Rashmi Dubey, walking down a staircase, followed by Shiva Sharma and Shraddha. The footage has drawn renewed attention to the association between Sharma and the accused and their movements inside the apartment complex.Sharma died on October 9 after falling from the fourth floor of an apartment building in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area. His death triggered a murder investigation after his mother lodged a complaint alleging that he had been killed. Shraddha, however, had claimed in videos posted on social media before her arrest that Sharma died by suicide.
CCTV footage puts spotlight back on apartment movements
The emergence of the video has brought the movements of Sharma, Shraddha and Rashmi inside the apartment complex back into focus. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding Sharma’s death, including the layout of the building and the positioning of surveillance cameras.Ajay Rai, the owner of a flat in Awadh Green Apartment, has raised questions about the circumstances of the incident and the placement of CCTV cameras. Rai alleged that Shraddha had objected to the installation of cameras and had argued with him over the issue. He also claimed that she was aware of the cameras’ positions.According to Rai, one camera was positioned in such a way that its rear side faced the area from which Sharma reportedly fell, leaving that portion outside its view. He also claimed that residents and visitors used the lift rather than the staircase on the day of the incident.These claims have not been independently established, and their relevance to the case remains subject to investigation.
Forensic team to recreate crime scene
In a crucial step in the investigation, police are preparing to conduct a crime-scene reconstruction with the assistance of forensic experts to examine whether Sharma’s death was a suicide or a homicide.According to the report, the team plans to use a dummy matching Sharma’s physical build and weight and drop it from the fourth floor. Investigators will examine the likely trajectory and landing position under different scenarios to understand the circumstances in which the fatal fall could have occurred.The exercise is expected to help investigators assess the physical evidence and test competing versions of the incident. However, the reconstruction alone will not establish the cause of death; its findings will have to be considered alongside CCTV footage, forensic evidence, witness statements and other material collected during the investigation.
Shraddha’s suicide claim versus family’s murder allegation
Before her arrest, Shraddha had posted videos on social media claiming that Sharma died by suicide. Sharma’s mother, meanwhile, approached the police alleging murder, prompting investigators to examine the circumstances of his fall.The conflicting accounts have made the forensic examination and reconstruction of the crime scene important components of the probe.The newly surfaced footage from May does not, by itself, establish what happened on October 9. Investigators will need to determine whether the footage, the apartment’s surveillance arrangements and the accounts of people connected to the case provide any material evidence relevant to Sharma’s death.The investigation is continuing as police seek to establish the sequence of events leading to the restaurateur’s death.Shiva Sharma died on October 9 after falling from the fourth floor of an apartment near Balu Adda in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area. Initially, Shraddha, her sister Rashmi and driver Danish remained elusive for 11 days, travelling from Nepal to Nagpur. The breakthrough came when Shraddha allegedly made a call, enabling investigators to trace the signal to a flat in the Pro-Zone Calm apartment complex in Chinchbhan, Nagpur.Police officers reached the apartment on the afternoon of October 20 and knocked on the door. However, the occupants allegedly refused to open it, prompting the officers to seek assistance from Nagpur Police. The door was eventually opened following the intervention, and Shraddha, Rashmi and Danish were apprehended.The three were subsequently brought back to Lucknow. Police had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 each for information leading to their arrest. Shraddha was brought to Lucknow and sent to jail till October 31.
