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Days after Jaipur woman held for mother's murder, relative alleges she killed father too
Neeraj Sharma was allegedly run over by a speeding SUV in Jaipur's Pratap Nagar a week ago, in a murder allegedly orchestrated by her daughter.
Days after 23-year-old Ayushi Sharma was arrested in Rajasthan's Jaipur in connection with the death of her 45-year-old mother Neeraj Sharma, a relative has now cast doubt on her father's death too.
Neeraj Sharma was allegedly run over by a speeding SUV in Jaipur's Pratap Nagar a week ago, in a murder allegedly orchestrated by her daughter. Now, Neeraj's brother, Rakesh Sharma, has alleged that Ayushi was also involved in the death of her father, Vijay Sharma. He further claimed that Ayushi's cousin, Balram, who is currently absconding, was the alleged mastermind behind both incidents.
"Ayushi was a friendly and caring girl who, as the elder child, was anyway expected to inherit the family's property. Balram manipulated and influenced her, eventually drawing her into the conspiracy to kill her mother," Rakesh told HT.
Pratap Nagar SHO Puranmal Yadav told HT, "The police are still investigating the allegations made by Rakesh Sharma. The case is being examined from every angle."
Rakesh alleged that the death of his brother-in-law, Vijay, a court master at the Rajasthan High Court, was not natural and urged the police to investigate it as a possible conspiracy.
According to Rakesh, Vijay suffered a brain haemorrhage in July 2024. During his treatment, Ayushi and Balram allegedly told the family that a senior doctor had advised shifting him to another hospital for better care. They then shifted Vijay to another hospital. Rakesh claimed that for nearly three months, the family was not informed about the hospital where Vijay had been admitted or its location.
Whenever Neeraj enquired about Vijay, Ayushi allegedly told her that he was undergoing treatment at a private hospital on Delhi Road. Owing to her own ill health, Neeraj was unable to visit him. The family was later informed that Vijay's condition had deteriorated and that he had been shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of another private hospital. When relatives finally reached the hospital, doctors allegedly told them that most of his organs had been severely damaged. Vijay was brought home in April 2025 and died shortly afterwards.
Rakesh alleged that Ayushi initially believed she would secure her father's government job on compassionate grounds after his death. However, as she had only completed Class 12, family members advised that the appointment should go to Neeraj to ensure financial security for both Ayushi and her 16-year-old differently abled brother. Neeraj's appointment upset Ayushi, Rakesh said.
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On July 3, Neeraj was on her morning walk about 100 metres from her home when she was allegedly run over by an SUV. Rakesh filed a complaint the following day, leading to the arrest of five accused this week, including Ayushi.
Investigators alleged that Balram arranged ₹7 lakh to hire contract killers and handed the money over to co-accused Hemant. Balram remains absconding.
Deputy commissioner of police Ranjita Sharma said police are searching for Balram and will also examine the complaint submitted by Neeraj's family.
During interrogation, police learnt that Ayushi had allegedly attempted to kill Neeraj about a month before the murder by running her over with an SUV, but abandoned the plan because of heavy traffic.
Rakesh also alleged that Ayushi performed a black magic ritual at her residence with a group of friends a few days before the murder. Police are verifying the claims and examining CCTV footage to establish who was present and whether the gathering has any connection with the crime.
