Influencer Shraddha Dubey, accused in the death of her boyfriend, Lucknow tycoon Shiva Sharma, has broken her silence, claiming that he died by suicide and was not murdered. Her statement, released on video, comes as police found her SUV near the India-Nepal border, fuelling suspicions that she may have fled to the neighbouring country.
Dubey has been on the run since Sharma died after falling from the fourth floor of her apartment building in Lucknow on October 9. Cops recovered sex toys and sexual enhancement drugs from the flat and the case took a turn with CCTV footage capturing a white Audi bearing a "Secretariat" label arriving at the building shortly after his fall.
The 27-year-old victim's family has accused Dubey of murder, assault and blackmail. Police have registered a murder case against the influencer, her sister, their driver and two other people.
The influencer broke her silence on Wednesday via a video message in which she said, “I am not missing. I want to go to the police and give a statement. I want to tell them the truth, everything."
Dubey claimed that she was not physically fit at present and asked people to consider her condition before making allegations against her.
She denied having any involvement with gangsters, politicians or senior government officials, and alleged that her name has been unnecessarily dragged into rumours.
“My only request to you is that before saying anything about any girl. I have not done anything wrong,” she added.
DUBEY'S SUV FOUND NEAR NEPAL BORDER
The Uttar Pradesh Police found Dubey’s SUV was found in Rupaidiha, a town in Bahraich district near the Nepal border. The vehicle had been parked there since October 10.
According to the information provided, Dubey had told people she was going to Nepal when she parked the vehicle.
Her whereabouts remain unclear, and there are suspicions that she may have crossed the border.
The discovery of the SUV prompted attention from the Lucknow police, who were expected to reach Bahraich to investigate the matter.
PHOTO WITH WANTED CRIMINAL SURFACES
Meanwhile, a photograph purportedly showing Dubey with Rishabh Rai, an Aliganj-based criminal carrying a reward of Rs 25,000, has surfaced.
Rai is the same person whose audio threatening Sharma had earlier gone viral.
The photograph has raised questions about the alleged relationship between Dubey and Rai, as well as whether the earlier threat has any connection to Sharma’s death.
Meanwhile, a police probe is already underway into Dubey's alleged connections with individuals linked to the Mukhtar Ansari gang, as well as claims that she used these associations to intimidate people, extort money and blackmail victims.
VICTIM'S FAMILY ACCUSES DUBEY OF MURDER
Shiva Sharma's mother, Ranjana, has claimed that her son was held captive, brutally tortured and thrown from the building by Dubey and her sister, Rashmi.
She said that his body bore multiple severe injuries, including fractures to his jaw, ribs and a leg. She also said blood was coming from his ears and nose.
According to the family, there were visible marks of cigarette burns and scratches across his body. They have alleged that the injuries point to sustained physical torture before his death.
The family further claimed that Shraddha Dubey had been harassing Shiva for the past four to five months. They alleged that she had repeatedly assaulted him and threatened to implicate him in false cases and defame him.
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