Model and social media influencer Shraddha Dubey, her sister Rashmi Dubey and their driver Tanveer Ali alias Danish were arrested in Maharashtra's Nagpur on Tuesday in connection with the suspected murder of Lucknow cafe owner Shiva Sharma, ending an 11-day manhunt across multiple states.
A joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Lucknow Police apprehended the three suspects with assistance from Nagpur Police. Additional Director General of Police Amitabh Yash confirmed the arrests.
The accused had been untraceable since October 9, when Sharma, 28, died after falling from the fourth floor of Awadh Green Apartments in the Balu Adda area under Lucknow's Hazratganj police station.
The three suspects were carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 each, announced after police failed to trace them despite an extensive search.
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Police said the arrests followed an operation involving surveillance, examination of CCTV footage and searches across several states.
Investigators initially suspected that the accused had crossed into Nepal through the Rupaidiha border in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district.
A vehicle registered in Dubey's name had earlier been found abandoned near the international border, strengthening suspicions that the suspects might have fled the country.
Preliminary information suggested that the trio subsequently travelled to Agra before reaching Nagpur, although police have not officially established their complete movements during the 11 days.
According to Nagpur Police, Dubey was traced to a flat on Wardha Road and apprehended on Tuesday afternoon.
The accused are expected to be brought to Lucknow after completion of the necessary legal formalities.
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Sharma's death was initially treated as an accidental fall, but police subsequently registered a murder case following allegations made by his mother, Ranjana Sharma.
The family alleged that Sharma had been physically assaulted and tortured before being thrown from the apartment building.
According to police, Sharma had been in a live-in relationship with Dubey for approximately three months.
The complaint named Dubey, her sister, their driver and two other individuals in connection with the alleged murder.
Investigators collected CCTV footage from the apartment complex and examined the circumstances surrounding Sharma's fall.
A post-mortem examination reportedly identified multiple injuries on his body and attributed his death to injuries sustained in a fall onto a hard surface.
Police are investigating whether the fall was accidental, suicidal or the result of criminal involvement.
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While police were searching for her, Dubey appeared in videos circulated on social media, denying any involvement in Sharma's death.
She claimed that Sharma had died by suicide because of financial distress and alleged that he owed between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh.
According to her account, Sharma had entered a bathroom at her residence on October 9 before jumping from the balcony.
She maintained that CCTV footage from the building would help establish the circumstances of his death and rejected allegations that he had been assaulted or tortured.
Dubey also claimed that she had handed Sharma's mobile phone to police to assist investigators in examining his financial dealings.
Sharma's family disputed her account and questioned why she had not appeared before investigators to provide her version of events.
The competing claims remain under investigation, and police have not established the precise circumstances leading to Sharma's death.
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The investigation has also triggered administrative changes within Lucknow Police amid criticism over delays in tracing the accused.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Vikrant Vir was attached to the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police headquarters.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Verma was transferred to the Crime Branch, while Hazratganj Station House Officer Vikram Singh was removed from his post.
Although officials did not publicly specify the reasons for the transfers, they came amid growing scrutiny of the police response.
The prolonged search had raised questions after Dubey continued to appear in social media videos and interviews despite remaining untraceable.
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With the three suspects now in custody, investigators are expected to question them about events preceding Sharma's death, their movements after October 9 and the allegations raised by his family.
Police will also examine digital evidence, phone records and CCTV footage to reconstruct the sequence of events.
The arrests mark a significant development in the investigation, but the allegations against the accused have yet to be established in court.
The case has attracted considerable attention because of the circumstances surrounding Sharma's death, the allegations made by his family and the prolonged search for the suspects.