Dubai: She allegedly fled across borders, changed locations to evade police and posted videos on social media insisting she was innocent. But after days on the run and a Rs 50,000 reward on her head, influencer and model Shraddha Dubey was arrested in Nagpur on Tuesday in connection with the suspected murder of her businessman boyfriend in Lucknow.
Dubey was arrested along with her sister Rashmi Dubey and their driver Danish in a joint operation by Lucknow Police, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Nagpur Police.
The three had been wanted in connection with the death of Shiva Sharma, a Lucknow businessman who owned several restaurants and fell from the fourth floor of a building where Dubey lived.
Sharma's family has accused Dubey and her sister of murder and blackmail, allegations the influencer has strongly denied.
From Lucknow to Nepal — and finally Nagpur
According to police, the three accused had been constantly changing locations in an attempt to avoid arrest.
Investigators said they fled Lucknow for Nepal before travelling through parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Rae Bareli and Agra, and eventually reaching Nagpur in Maharashtra.
Police believe they were preparing to move again when officers tracked them down.
The search had intensified after authorities announced a reward of Rs 50,000 each for information leading to the arrest of Dubey, her sister and their driver.
In a statement on Tuesday, police confirmed that all three had been apprehended in Nagpur and were being brought to Lucknow after completing the necessary legal formalities.
CCTV trail at Agra hotel
Fresh details have also emerged about Dubey's movements while she was evading arrest.
According to media reports, she spent nearly 24 hours at a hotel in Agra's Taj Nagari Phase-I area.
CCTV footage reportedly showed a vehicle allegedly linked to Dubey arriving at the hotel at 6.33am on October 17.
About 20 minutes later, at 6.53am, a woman identified in the reports as Dubey was seen entering the premises.
The vehicle's registration number was also reportedly identified during the investigation.
The alleged hotel stay offered investigators another lead as they attempted to reconstruct the movements of the three suspects.
'He jumped from the fourth floor'
Even while police were searching for her, Dubey remained active on social media, releasing videos in which she rejected the allegations against her.
In one video, she claimed Sharma had died by suicide and insisted that CCTV footage from her building would establish her innocence.
"It was a suicide; I witnessed him jump from the fourth floor of my building," she claimed.
Dubey said she had known Sharma for only four months and questioned why she would have any reason to harm him.
She also accused Sharma's mother of making false allegations because she disapproved of their relationship.
"Just because someone claims we committed murder doesn't mean we did," Dubey said.
In another claim, she alleged that Sharma was burdened by a debt of Rs 20 lakh and had spoken about ending his life if he was unable to repay the money.
These claims have not been independently established.
Family alleges blackmail and murder
Sharma's mother, Ranjana Sharma, filed a complaint following his death, accusing Dubey and others of involvement.
Police registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with punishment for murder, at Lucknow's Hazratganj Police Station on October 9.
An audio recording purportedly featuring Dubey threatening Sharma also circulated online. In the recording, she was allegedly heard referring to taking a complaint against him to an influential person described as "sir".
The authenticity and circumstances of the recording have not been independently verified.
What happens next?
Following her arrest, Dubey was taken to Bell Road Police Station on Wardha Road in Nagpur, where officers from the Uttar Pradesh STF and Nagpur Police questioned her.
The three accused are expected to be brought to Lucknow for further investigation.
Investigators will now seek to establish the circumstances surrounding Sharma's fatal fall, examine available CCTV footage and assess the competing claims made by his family and Dubey.
For now, the influencer's days on the run have ended — but the central question remains unanswered: What really happened before Shiva Sharma fell to his death?