Model Shraddha Dubey, prime accused in Shiva Sharma murder case, arrested in Nagpur

Before Dubey's arrest, Lucknow Police had announced a reward for information leading to the arrest of her and two other accused, her sister Rashmi and Tanvir Ali alias Danish. The reward, initially set at Rs 25,000 each, was subsequently increased to Rs 50,000.

In Short

• Sharma allegedly fell from Lucknow apartment balcony, initially deemed accident
• Police officials transferred amid ongoing probe and accused being untraceable
• Dubey denied involvement, claimed Sharma died by suicide citing financial stress

Model Shraddha Dubey, the prime accused in the murder of Shiva Sharma, has been arrested in Nagpur by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Lucknow Police, officials said on Tuesday. Nagpur Crime Branch senior official Deepak Agrawal confirmed Dubey's arrest. Further details regarding the circumstances of her arrest and the next course of investigation are awaited.

Dubey, 31, had been on the run since October 9, when Sharma, 28, allegedly fell from the balcony of an apartment in Lucknow's Hazratganj area. His death, initially treated as an accidental fall, became a suspected murder case after his family alleged that he had been assaulted and tortured before being thrown from the building. Cops recovered sex toys and sexual enhancement drugs from the flat and found lipstick marks on his body, further raising suspicions of foul play.

Dubey, a fashion model and Sharma's alleged live-in partner, is among the accused booked in the case. Her sister Rashmi Dubey, their driver and two other people have also been named in the case.

POLICE TRACKED MOVEMENTS ACROSS UP, NEPAL

Earlier on Tuesday, police sources said Dubey's last known location had been traced to Agra, prompting teams to search the city. Investigators were also scanning CCTV footage from toll plazas along the Lucknow-Agra route to establish her movements.

According to police sources, Dubey returned to Lucknow on Saturday night, when her location was traced to the city. However, she reportedly left after giving a statement to a news agency the following morning.

The search had earlier extended to the India-Nepal border. A Mahindra Scorpio-N registered in Dubey's name was found abandoned in a small town in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district, around a kilometre from the Nepal border. CCTV footage subsequently purportedly showed Dubey and her sister Rashmi in Nepal. Investigators later traced them to Dang district but reportedly lost track of them afterwards.

SHARMA'S FAMILY ALLEGES MURDER, ASSAULT

Sharma's death was initially treated as an accidental fall but became a suspected murder case after his family alleged that he had been assaulted and tortured before falling from the building.

His family has accused Dubey of murder, assault and blackmail. Police have registered a murder case against her, her sister, their driver and two other people.

During the investigation, police reportedly recovered sex toys and sexual enhancement drugs from the apartment and found lipstick marks on Sharma's body. These details are part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

DUBEY HAD CLAIMED SHARMA DIED BY SUICIDE

While on the run, Dubey denied involvement in Sharma's death in videos circulated on social media. She claimed that he died by suicide because of financial distress, alleging that he owed between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh and had spoken about ending his life if he could not repay the money.

Dubey also claimed that Sharma went into a bathroom at her residence on October 9 and shut the door. She said she asked her sister to check on him, but before the door could be opened, Sharma jumped from the balcony.

She denied allegations that Sharma was assaulted or tortured and claimed that CCTV footage would establish what happened. She also said she had handed over his phone to police, arguing that his communications with lenders could help establish the circumstances leading to his death.

Sharma's mother, Ranjana Sharma, has rejected Dubey's account and repeatedly demanded the arrest of those accused in the case. She said her son called her shortly before the incident and told her he would return in five minutes after Dubey called him outside. She alleged that he had been subjected to physical and mental torture and said she had handed over evidence to investigators.

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