LUCKNOW: Model Shraddha Dubey, who had been absconding following the death of businessman Shiva Sharma, was arrested in Nagpur on Tuesday by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and the Lucknow Police. Her sister, Rashmi Dubey, and their driver, Danish alias Tanveer Ali, were also detained during the operation. Working in coordination with the Nagpur Police and the Crime Branch, investigators apprehended all three from an apartment complex in Chinchbhavan under the Beltarodi police station limits. The accused are being produced before a local court to secure transit remand before being brought to Lucknow for detailed interrogation regarding the suspected motive and the circumstances leading to Sharma’s death.
Fall from High-Rise and Murder Allegations
The case began on October 9 when Sharma died under suspicious circumstances after falling from the fourth floor of Awadh Green Apartment in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area. The businessman had been living with Dubey for around four months prior to the incident. When his body was recovered, he was reportedly clad only in underwear, bearing lipstick marks on his face and cigarette burns across his body. These findings led his family to suspect foul play.
Sharma’s mother, Ranjana Sharma, filed a formal complaint accusing Dubey, her sister, and the driver of pushing her son to his death. While the initial complaint noted discrepancies regarding the number of accused and the driver’s name, police have identified the trio as the primary suspects. Following the arrests, Sharma’s mother expressed relief on Vijayadashami, thanking the authorities while observing that earlier intervention might have secured their custody sooner.
Evading Arrest Across Multiple States
Dubey vanished immediately after the incident and later released videos on October 14 maintaining her innocence. In those recordings, she asserted that Sharma was burdened by heavy debts, had consumed alcohol prior to visiting her on October 7, and had died by suicide. She also claimed her sister had no involvement in the episode. As the videos circulated widely online, authorities stepped up their search, raising a cash reward on Dubey from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 and securing non-bailable warrants against the suspects on October 17.
Investigators tracked Dubey to an Agra hotel in the Taj Nagari locality, where she had checked in wearing a burqa before leaving prior to the arrival of the police team. Officials stated that the suspects kept mobile phone usage to a minimum and stayed in smaller lodges to evade detection. Technical surveillance indicated that the group traveled by car to Delhi before boarding a flight to Nagpur, amid reports that they may have also visited other transit points during the eleven-day manhunt.
Custody and Transit Remand Proceedings
Police are now examining the precise roles of the driver and sister in facilitating the escape from Lucknow. Investigators suspect that Rashmi assisted in organizing hideouts across cities, while Danish drove the sisters and managed logistical support on the run. The driver’s family had previously stated they had no contact with him following the incident and were aware of developments only through media reports.
Tensions surfaced shortly after the operation when video footage captured Dubey objecting to seating arrangements in the police vehicle, claiming that sitting in the rear caused breathing difficulties. Investigators are preparing to reconstruct the sequence of events at the Hazratganj apartment once the trio arrives in Lucknow. The inquiry will focus on the exact cause of Sharma’s death, forensic evidence gathered from the scene, and whether outside individuals assisted the accused while they were evading the authorities.
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