Bahraich/Lucknow, Oct 14 A black car alleged to be owned by the live-in partner of a 27-year-old cafe owner who fell to his death days ago was found abandoned near the Nepal border, police said on Wednesday.
The Mahindra Scorpio-N registered in the name of Shraddha Dubey, a fashion model, was found parked in Rupaidiha town, around one kilometre from the Nepal border, an officer said.
Shiva Sharma, a businessman, died on October 9 after falling from an apartment in Awadh Green Apartment in Lucknow.
Five days after the suspected murder, police are still searching for Shraddha, who is said to be his live-in partner.
The emergence of the car has now raised the possibility that Shraddha, her sister Rashmi Dubey, and Tanvir Ali alias Danish, another accused, may have crossed into Nepal, a police personnel privy to the investigation said.
Nepalgunj, the district headquarters on the Nepalese side of the border, has several hotels, casinos and upscale localities.
Rupaidiha in Bahraich serves as an open but regulated border transit between the two countries.
The Lucknow Police, meanwhile, announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for information leading to the arrest of the three accused, who have been booked at the city’s Hazratganj Police Station.
Meanwhile, Shraddha’s stepmother declined to speak to reporters at the family’s ancestral house in the Malik Mau Ayma area of Rae Bareli district.
She said Shraddha had not been in contact with the family for the past few years and did not visit home.
An audio clip, purportedly a phone conversation between Shraddha and Shiva Sharma, also surfaced on social media on Wednesday.
In the recording, the two are heard arguing, with the woman seemingly furious at Sharma for staying out longer than expected and threatening to inform “sir” about it.
The authenticity of the audio clip could not be independently verified. The Lucknow police had not issued any official statement on it.
Sharma’s death, initially viewed as accidental, turned into a murder investigation after his family alleged that he had been assaulted and tortured before being thrown off the building.
The police have booked Shraddha, her sister, their driver and two other people for murder.
(PTI News)
