The mother of Lucknow cafe owner Shiva Sharma, who died after falling off the balcony of an apartment building earlier this month, welcomed the arrest of three absconding accused in the case. Ranjana Sharma, mother of the victim, described the arrest of model Shraddha Dubey as the “first step toward justice” and thanked the Uttar Pradesh Police, Special Task Force (STF) and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for their efforts.
Sharma's mother, who had lodged a murder complaint against Dubey and others, claimed that there was proof that her son was harassed. "Following this arrest, the case will proceed according to the due process of law. As for the harassment, there are many other videos currently in people's possession. I have full faith that justice will be served," she said.
28-year-old Shiva Sharma fell off the balcony of an apartment in the Balu Adda area of Hazratganj in Uttar Pradesh on October 9. Police on Tuesday arrested his alleged live-in partner Shraddha Dubey, her sister and their driver, who are the key accused in the case. They had been on the run since the day of the incident.
Hailing the arrests, Shiva's mother said they coincided with Vijayadashami and expressed confidence that the case would proceed according to the due process of law.
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Speaking to ANI, Ranjana Sharma said, “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone— the police, the STF, the administration, CM Yogi Adityanath, and all those who supported us. It is significant that today is the day of Vijayadashami, and this marks the first step toward justice for Shiva.”
Arrest of three in Nagpur
Prime suspect Shraddha Dubey, her sister Rashmi Dubey and driver Danish, who each carried a reward of ₹50,000, were arrested in Nagpur during a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF) and Lucknow Police, with assistance from Nagpur Police.
Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash said Shraddha had evaded arrest by consistently wearing a burqa, minimising her use of communication devices, limiting interactions with others and staying in low-end hotels with minimal surveillance.
"She will now be brought to Lucknow on transit remand, where the Lucknow Police will conduct interrogations and advance the investigation. To evade the police and remain on the run, she consistently wore a burqa, minimized the use of communication devices, and kept her interactions with others to an absolute minimum. She chose to stay in low-end hotels—places with minimal surveillance and less police oversight," he told reporters.
Shraddha travelled to Nepal to mislead investigators
Yash also said police had received information that Shraddha had travelled to Nepal before returning, describing it as a possible attempt to mislead investigators.
"This was likely an attempt to throw the police off her trail," he said.
Speaking to ANI, the ADG said Shraddha was accompanied by her sister and driver, who had remained with her throughout the period she was absconding.
Yash said Shraddha would be brought to Lucknow on transit remand, where the Lucknow Police would question her as part of the investigation.
A murder case was registered at Hazratganj police station on October 9 under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), following a complaint by Ranjana Sharma. Lucknow Police had initially announced a reward of ₹25,000 for information leading to the accused, which was later increased to ₹50,000.