Shraddha Dubey case: Why has UP Police failed to trace model accused in Shiva Sharma’s death?

The case has drawn attention after Dubey, who is accused of pushing Sharma to his death, reportedly managed to give interviews to journalists while remaining at large. She has also released videos claiming innocence and expressing her willingness to surrender.

The Uttar Pradesh Police are facing mounting questions over their failure to arrest social media influencer and model Shraddha Dubey, the prime accused in the death of Lucknow businessman Shiva Sharma. Despite deploying 10 teams to search for her over the past 10 days, the police have yet to trace her, while reports suggest she has returned to Uttar Pradesh after spending time in Nepal.

In today’s episode of DNA, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, conducted a detailed analysis of the case, examining how the accused allegedly travelled from Lucknow to Nepal and back to Uttar Pradesh without being arrested, and why the police have been unable to locate her despite an extensive search operation.

What happened in the Shiva Sharma case?

On October 9, Shiva Sharma died after falling from the fourth floor of Awadh Green Apartment in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area. Shraddha Dubey is the prime accused in the case and is alleged to have pushed Sharma from the building, leading to his death.

Within hours of the incident, Dubey allegedly fled Lucknow. According to claims, she travelled towards the Nepal border through Bahraich and left her car behind before crossing into Nepal. She was reportedly accompanied by her sister and an associate.

After spending several days in Nepal, Dubey is believed to have returned to Uttar Pradesh. She subsequently gave interviews to journalists, claiming that she was innocent.

Her reported movements have raised questions about how she managed to travel hundreds of kilometres, cross several districts and pass through multiple police jurisdictions without being apprehended.

Three videos released to claim innocence

While the police continued their search, videos featuring Dubey emerged from Nepal. The footage reportedly showed all three accused together.

Dubey released three videos between October 14 and 15, in which she presented her version of events surrounding Sharma’s death.

• October 14: In her first video, she claimed that Sharma had died by suicide.
• October 14: In a second video released a few minutes later, she expressed her willingness to surrender.
• October 15: In the third video, she described her account of the events that took place on October 9.

The videos have raised further questions about how a woman wanted in a murder case was able to release statements publicly while the police continued searching for her.

A non-bailable warrant has been issued against Dubey, and a reward has been announced for information leading to her arrest. However, she remains untraced.

Reward doubled, three police officers face action

As criticism mounted over the police’s failure to arrest Dubey, the reward announced for her was increased from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000.

Action was also taken against three police officers. Lucknow DCP Central Vikrant Veer was attached to police headquarters, ACP Rajneesh Verma was transferred, and Hazratganj police station SHO Inspector Vikram Singh was sent to the police lines.

No official reason was given for the transfers. However, the action came amid growing scrutiny of the investigation and questions over how Dubey allegedly managed to evade arrest.

The case has prompted several questions: Why was Dubey not arrested immediately after Sharma’s death? How did the three accused allegedly travel from Lucknow to Nepal? And how has she managed to remain outside police custody despite the search operation?

Police question family in Rae Bareli

As part of the investigation, a Lucknow Police team visited Dubey’s residence in Rae Bareli. Her father and stepmother were questioned for around one and a half hours. Dubey completed her early education in Rae Bareli.

Another police team visited the Lucknow flat where Sharma died under suspicious circumstances. The flat has been sealed, and a notice issued by a court in Saharanpur has been pasted outside.

The notice relates to a separate cheating case and requires Dubey to present her side of the matter by October 31. She is therefore facing legal proceedings in the cheating case alongside the investigation into Sharma’s death.

Shraddha Dubey approaches court to surrender

Meanwhile, Dubey has approached a court in Lucknow seeking permission to surrender. Her move comes as the police continue efforts to arrest her.

The development adds another turn to the case, with Dubey seeking to surrender through the court while investigators attempt to take her into custody.

The circumstances surrounding Sharma’s death, Dubey’s alleged escape and her reported return to Uttar Pradesh remain under investigation. The police are continuing their search as questions grow over the handling of the case and the failure to arrest the prime accused.

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