LUCKNOW: Social media influencer and model Shraddha Dubey, her sister Rashmi Dubey and their driver, Tanveer Ali alias Danish, have been arrested in Nagpur in connection with the death of restaurant owner Shiva Sharma, Lucknow Police Commissioner Tarun Gauba said.
The three had been absconding and were reportedly carrying a combined reward of Rs 50,000. Gauba said they were being brought to Lucknow on transit remand and would be produced in court.
The arrests followed a search across several locations in India and Nepal.
Investigators tracked the accused after they reportedly fled to Nepal, returned to Uttar Pradesh and travelled to Nagpur in Maharashtra.
Sharma, 28, died on October 9 after falling from the fourth floor of Awadh Green Apartments near Balu Adda in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area. His mother, Ranjana Sharma, accused Shraddha and others of being involved in his death. An FIR was registered on October 10 under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to murder.
Search across India-Nepal border
During the investigation, police found that the three accused had reportedly fled to Nepal. Shraddha’s SUV was found parked in Rupaidiha in Bahraich, near the India-Nepal border, raising suspicions that they had crossed into the neighbouring country.
Investigators received further leads about their movements in Nepal, including in Banke and Surkhet. Later information placed them in Bhaluwang, in Dang district.
Police also coordinated with their Nepalese counterparts to establish their whereabouts.
The trio subsequently re-entered Uttar Pradesh through the Maharajganj border region, investigators found. They later travelled to Maharashtra, with Nagpur emerging as a key location in the search.
The operation involved coordination between the Lucknow Police, the Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force (STF) and police personnel in Maharashtra. The joint teams eventually arrested the three in Nagpur.
The Lucknow Police had earlier announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for Shraddha, Rashmi and Danish, which would amount to Rs 75,000 in total. However, information about their arrest put the combined reward at Rs 50,000. The discrepancy requires official clarification.
The case drew public attention after videos purportedly showing confrontations between Sharma and Shraddha surfaced.
Shraddha had earlier denied involvement in his death in social media posts and claimed that Sharma died by suicide amid financial difficulties. The circumstances surrounding Sharma’s death and the allegations against the three accused remain under investigation.