LUCKNOW Rifle-shooting videos, photographs posing with firearms and a social media reel set to a song titled Illegal Guns have placed the online footprint of Rishabh Shukla, 29, the prime accused in the Saadatganj triple murder case, under police scrutiny following the October 26 daylight shooting here.
Shukla was arrested shortly after the brazen daylight shooting in the Naubasta area of Saadatganj, which erupted over a car parking dispute and claimed the lives of three men —Shivaji Tiwari, Shivendra Tiwari and Suyash Tiwari. Following the firing, Shukla allegedly stood outside his house holding a pistol in one hand and a magazine in the other, threatening locals who attempted to aid the injured and triggering panic across the neighbourhood.
The posts have acquired significance after post-mortem examinations revealed two gunshot wounds on each of the three victims.
Cops are also preparing to seek his police custody remand to establish the sequence of events and investigate the roles of others allegedly involved in the killings.
However, the videos alone do not establish his level of shooting proficiency or prove that the firearms shown were used in the crime. Police are investigating the sequence of firing and the role of forensic evidence in reconstructing the attack.
Preliminary inquiries into Shukla’s background revealed that he had participated in a pre-state-level trap shooting competition in 2024, where he was awarded a medal alongside two other participants by a state rifle association. Numerous videos and photographs on his Facebook profile also depict him handling firearms and firing rifles at shooting range facilities.
{{/usCountry}}Preliminary inquiries into Shukla’s background revealed that he had participated in a pre-state-level trap shooting competition in 2024, where he was awarded a medal alongside two other participants by a state rifle association. Numerous videos and photographs on his Facebook profile also depict him handling firearms and firing rifles at shooting range facilities.
{{/usCountry}}His reported participation in the event is a specific aspect of his background that has emerged following the Saadatganj incident.
A review of Shukla’s social media presence, including an Instagram account with approximately 34,500 followers and 69 following, presents a contrasting public image. Alongside photographs depicting a purportedly flamboyant lifestyle centred on firearms, parties and alcohol consumption, his profiles feature uniformed photographs from his days in the merchant navy.
Several of his posts also highlight an interest in wildlife and animals, featuring photographs and videos of him interacting with dogs, snakes, sparrows, a squirrel, and even a cockroach.