10 internal injuries before death: Lucknow tycoon's autopsy raises more questions

The businessman who died after allegedly falling from the fourth floor of a Lucknow apartment sustained 10 serious internal injuries before his death, an autopsy has found, raising questions about the circumstances leading up to it.Shiva Sharma's cause of death was shock and haemorrhage resulting from the injuries, per the postmortem report. It also noted that the injuries could have been caused by an impact against a hard and rough surface. The time between the injuries and death could not be ascertained.According to police, Shiva Sharma died on the night of October 9 (Friday) after falling from the fourth floor of a flat in Awadh Green Apartment. The incident was initially viewed as a possible accidental death. However, a complaint by his family alleging assault and torture prompted police to register a murder case.Police have named Shiva’s live-in partner and social media influencer Shraddha Dubey, her sister, their driver and two others as accused in the case. 'SHIVA TORTURED BEFORE FALL'Shiva’s mother, Ranjana Sharma, alleged that her son was held captive and brutally assaulted before being thrown from the building.She claimed his body had multiple injuries, including fractures to his jaw, around both eyes, his ribs and a leg. She also alleged that he had cigarette-burn marks and scratches. Shiva was wearing only underwear when he died, she said. His family alleged that Shraddha had been harassing and assaulting him for the past four to five months and threatening to frame him in false cases. Shiva had been living with her for around four to five months, according to his family.They also claimed that Shraddha visited their shop about a week before his death and threatened them, demanding that they hand Shiva over to her.SEX TOYS, MYSTERY AUDIPolice have recovered sex toys and sexual enhancement drugs from the flat, according to the inputs available in the investigation. CCTV footage also captured a white Audi bearing a "Secretariat" label arriving at the building shortly after Sharma’s fall.Chats recovered during the investigation reportedly contain references to political figures and other influential people.The postmortem findings establish that Sharma sustained the injuries before his death, but do not by themselves establish whether he was assaulted and then thrown from the fourth floor.Police are investigating whether Sharma died from the fall or was killed before being thrown from the building. The circumstances leading to his death remain under investigation.- Ends