LUCKNOW An 11-day multi-state manhunt ended in Maharashtra’s Nagpur on Tuesday with the arrest of fugitive model Shraddha Dubey, 31, her younger sister Rashmi Dubey and their driver Tanveer Ali alias ‘Danish’, in connection with the alleged murder of 28-year-old Lucknow café owner Shiva Sharma.
Acting on specific intelligence, a joint team of the Lucknow Police, the UP Special Task Force (STF) and the Nagpur Police tracked down the trio, each of whom carried a ₹50,000 reward. Lucknow commissioner of police Tarun Gauba confirmed that all three accused were produced before a Nagpur court and being brought back to Lucknow on transit remand.
Shiva Sharma, a businessman and Shraddha’s live-in partner, died on October 9 after falling from the fourth floor of Awadh Green Apartments near Balu Adda in Lucknow. While initially viewed as an accidental fall, the case turned into a murder investigation on October 10 after Sharma’s mother, Ranjana Sharma, lodged a complaint alleging that her son had been assaulted, tortured, and thrown from the building. Police subsequently registered an FIR under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The case was initially viewed as an accidental death after Sharma fell from the apartment. It turned into a murder investigation after his family alleged that he had been assaulted and tortured before being thrown from the building.
{{/usCountry}}The case was initially viewed as an accidental death after Sharma fell from the apartment. It turned into a murder investigation after his family alleged that he had been assaulted and tortured before being thrown from the building.
{{/usCountry}}Officials attributed the delay in the arrests to the prime accused’s understanding of law enforcement tracking.
“She was familiar with police procedures, working methods, and technical aspects, which is why it took time to arrest her,” said Amitabh Yash, ADG (law and order) in a statement.
During the chase, investigators initially suspected the trio had fled to Nepal after an SUV registered in Shraddha’s name was found abandoned last week in Rupaidiha town of Bahraich district, along the Indo-Nepal border. As the search widened, courts issued non-bailable warrants and police doubled the reward on each accused from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000.
Amid the investigation, Hazratganj SHO Vikram Singh was transferred to Police Lines, assistant commissioner of police Rajneesh Verma moved to the Crime Branch and DCP (Central) Vikrant Vir attached to the UP Police headquarters in Lucknow.
However, the breakthrough came in Nagpur, where the joint team traced and arrested all three. Preliminary information suggested that they reached Agra before boarding a flight to Nagpur. Investigators were yet to disclose the specific intelligence that led them to the city.
“On October 20, 2026, a joint team of Lucknow Police and the UP Special Task Force (STF), with assistance from Nagpur Police, arrested all three accused from Nagpur. The arrested accused are being brought to Lucknow after completion of necessary legal formalities in accordance with the law. Further legal proceedings in the case are underway,” said Lucknow commissioner of police Tarun Gauba.
Even while on the run, Shraddha released multiple videos on social media — followed by a video interview from an undisclosed location on Sunday — denying any role in Sharma’s death.
In her statements, Dubey claimed that Sharma died by suicide due to severe financial distress, alleging he owed between ₹15 lakh and ₹20 lakh to moneylenders and had previously threatened to end his life. Recounting the night of October 9, she alleged Sharma locked himself inside her apartment’s bathroom and jumped from the balcony before her sister could get the door open. She maintained that apartment CCTV footage and Sharma’s mobile phone — which she claims to have handed over to the police — would absolve her of the torture and murder charges.
Back in Lucknow, Sharma’s family welcomed the breakthrough. Reacting to the arrests, the victim’s mother, Ranjana Sharma, expressed relief that the fugitives were finally in custody.
“I am thankful to the media, police, STF, and the administration for their efforts,” she said. “On Vijayadashami, this is the first step towards justice for my son. There are still many processes to be completed, and I am hopeful that he will get justice.”