LUCKNOW: A 27-year-old restaurant owner died after allegedly falling from the fourth floor of Awadh Green Apartment near Balu Adda in Lucknow on Saturday.The deceased, Shiva Sharma, owned the Vande Mataram Chicken and Aangan restaurant chains and also operated a cafe. His mother has accused his girlfriend, Shraddha Dubey, a social media influencer, and her associates of murdering him. She alleged that he had been subjected to physical assault, intimidation and blackmail for several months. Hazratganj police have registered an FIR against Shraddha and several others.In her complaint submitted to Hazratganj police on October 10, Shiva’s mother, Ranjana Sharma, alleged that she received a call from Adil, an associate of Shraddha, at around 7 pm on October 9. He reportedly informed her that Shiva’s condition had deteriorated and that he was being taken to King George’s Medical University (KGMU).According to Ranjana, when she reached the medical college with other family members, the people accompanying her son showed them his body from a distance and fled. Doctors subsequently declared him dead.The mother alleged that Shiva had sustained multiple injuries and was wearing only underwear when the family saw his body. She expressed suspicion that Shraddha, her driver, her sister Rashmi Dubey, Adil and other unidentified associates had assaulted and killed him.In her complaint, Ranjana alleged that Shraddha had been harassing her son for the past four months, threatening to implicate him in false cases and damage his reputation. She claimed that Shraddha pressured him to remain in a relationship with her and resorted to blackmail and physical violence when he resisted.The family further alleged that Shiva had previously been assaulted and pressured into maintaining a relationship against his wishes. Ranjana also claimed that Shraddha had visited her shop about a week before the incident and threatened her over her son.ACP Hazratganj Rajneesh Verma said the circumstances leading to Shiva’s fall were being investigated. He said police had registered a case against Shraddha Dubey, her sister Rashmi Dubey, her driver, Adil and unidentified others, and that further action would be taken based on the family’s complaint.Shiva’s elder sister, Astha, told TOI that Shraddha had been harassing her brother for several days. She said she had seen their WhatsApp chats and had evidence to support her claim. “They met at a party through a common friend four months back,” she added.
