Lucknow, Oct 20 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the death of Lucknow cafe owner Shiva Sharma was “not an ordinary case” and “can bring down the Uttar Pradesh government”, drawing a parallel with the 2020 police encounter of Kanpur-based gangster Vikas Dubey.
Responding to questions about Shraddha Dubey, Sharma’s alleged live-in partner and the prime accused in the case who has been absconding for 11 days, Yadav took a swipe at the police and the state government without naming anyone.
“Justice should be delivered. Remember, the vehicle had not overturned; the government was saved from being toppled,” Yadav said, referring to the circumstances surrounding the death of Vikas Dubey, who was killed in a police encounter after the vehicle transporting him from Madhya Pradesh to Uttar Pradesh overturned in July 2020.
“This case, too, is not an ordinary one. It is a case that will bring down the government,” the former UP chief minister claimed, making a veiled reference to the alleged connection of some influential people in the case.
Yadav also alleged that television channels were divided over the cafe owner’s death, with some appearing to support Shraddha Dubey and others opposing her.
“There is Shraddha everywhere. The police are unable to arrest her. The channels here are also divided; some are with Shraddha and some are against her. If this is not true, tell me, whose side are you on?” he said.
The case has attracted attention amid allegations by Vikas Sharma’s family that he was assaulted and tortured before being thrown from an apartment building on October 9. Police initially treated the incident as an accidental death but subsequently registered a murder case following the family’s allegations.
Referring to a media interview given by Shraddha Dubey, while still on the run, Yadav also alleged that some journalists had access to inside information and claimed that media organisations were divided into different camps.
He alleged that even minor incidents involving the Samajwadi Party (SP) received prominent coverage and claimed that a prominent television channel had reported on seat-sharing arrangements between his party and its allies for the 2027 UP assembly elections.
“Leave the task of distributing seats to us,” Yadav said, in an apparent jibe at the media reports.
The SP chief also demanded the release of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, claiming that they had been unjustly detained.
“Our law and Constitution do not permit this, but the BJP wants to keep them in jail by exerting pressure,” he alleged.
Shraddha Dubey, 31, a fashion model, has been on the run since Shiva Sharma, 28, allegedly fell from the balcony of an apartment in the Balu Adda area under Hazratganj police station on October 9.
Her sister Rashmi Dubey, their driver Tanvir Ali alias Danish and two other people have also been booked in the case. The police have announced a reward of Rs 50,000 each for information leading to the arrest of Shraddha, Rashmi and Danish.
The case took a turn after Shiva Sharma’s family alleged that he had been assaulted and tortured before being thrown from the building. His mother, Ranjana Sharma, has repeatedly demanded the arrest of the accused and questioned Shraddha’s claim that her son died by suicide because of financial distress.
In videos circulated on social media, Shraddha has denied involvement in Shiva Sharma’s death and claimed that he jumped from the balcony after going into a bathroom at her residence. She has also alleged that he was under a debt of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and had threatened to end his life if he failed to repay it.
She has maintained that CCTV footage would establish what happened and denied allegations of assault or torture.
An audio recording circulating on social media purportedly captures a conversation in which Shiva Sharma admits to taking and selling jewellery belonging to Shraddha. She is heard claiming that the jewellery was worth around Rs 6 lakh and asking when the money would be returned.
Investigators have also examined the possibility that some of the accused may have crossed into Nepal. A Mahindra Scorpio-N registered in Shraddha’s name was found abandoned in Rupaidiha town of Bahraich district, close to the Nepal border, last week.
Amid the investigation, Hazratganj station house officer (SHO) Vikram Singh was transferred to Police Lines, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Rajneesh Verma was moved to the Crime Branch and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Vikrant Vir was attached to the UP Police headquarters in Lucknow.
Officials have not given an official reason for the transfers, although sources have linked the administrative changes to the high-profile case and the police investigation. PTI KIS KSS
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