Lucknow police intensify the search after non-bailable warrants are issued in the Shiva Sharma death case against Shraddha Dubey, Rashmi Dubey and Tanveer Ali alias Danish. (Img: X)
Lucknow: The investigation into the mysterious death of 28-year-old businessman Shiva Sharma has intensified, with a Lucknow court issuing non-bailable warrants against social media influencer Shraddha Dubey, her sister Rashmi Dubey and Tanveer Ali, alias Danish. Police are conducting raids to trace the three accused, coordinating with Nepal Police and preparing to initiate proceedings for the attachment of their properties.
A reward of Rs 25,000 has reportedly been announced for information leading to the arrest of each of the three accused, who remain at large. The case concerns Sharma’s death on October 9, when he fell from the fourth floor of Awadh Green Apartment near Balu Adda in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area.
The investigation gained further attention after reports emerged of Shraddha and people accompanying her allegedly being spotted in Nepal. However, the authenticity of the circulating videos and images has not been independently established.
According to police, non-bailable warrants have been obtained against Shraddha, Rashmi and Danish as investigators step up efforts to secure their arrest. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ganj, Rajneesh Kumar said the investigation was progressing on the basis of important leads and that multiple police teams were conducting continuous raids.
Investigators are also coordinating with Nepal Police to trace the accused across the border. According to police accounts, Shraddha allegedly left for Sitapur after the incident before travelling towards the Rupaidiha border and entering Nepal. Officials said her location was last traced in Nepal at around 6.20 am on October 10, and investigators believe she may still be there.
Police have also indicated that legal proceedings to attach the accused persons’ properties are being prepared. Such proceedings would be subject to the applicable legal process and court directions.
Sharma, a resident of Sector F in the Kapoorthala area of Aliganj, was reportedly in a live-in relationship with Shraddha, who lived in a fourth-floor flat at Awadh Green Apartment. He fell from the apartment at approximately 6.45 pm on October 9 and later died.
Following a complaint by his mother, Ranjana Sharma, Hazratganj police registered a murder case naming Shraddha, Rashmi, their associate Adil, a driver and other individuals. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against the named persons have not been established as proven facts.
The search for the accused has drawn further attention following reports of CCTV footage and videos allegedly showing Shraddha in Nepal. One reported clip purportedly shows her travelling on a cycle rickshaw with Adil, while another video was said to show Shraddha, Rashmi and Adil on an e-rickshaw.
The footage has fuelled speculation about the accused persons’ movements after Sharma’s death. However, the available reports do not independently establish the identities of everyone shown in the clips or conclusively verify when and where the footage was recorded.
Police are continuing efforts to locate the accused and establish their movements. Their reported presence in Nepal, the circumstances of their departure from India and any connection between those movements and the death investigation remain matters for investigators to establish through evidence.
The post-mortem report has emerged as an important component of the investigation. According to reports, it documented 11 injuries on Sharma’s body. Police are examining the medical findings alongside the complaint filed by his mother and other evidence collected during the probe.
The number of injuries has drawn attention to the circumstances surrounding the fatal fall, but the post-mortem findings alone should not be treated as conclusive proof of how the incident occurred or who, if anyone, was responsible. Establishing the sequence of events and the cause and manner of death requires assessment of the medical evidence alongside witness statements, forensic findings and other investigative material.
Ranjana Sharma’s complaint prompted the registration of a murder case. Police are investigating the allegations against the named individuals, while the accused persons’ culpability remains to be determined through the legal process.
Amid the police search, Shraddha has released videos on social media rejecting the allegations against her and maintaining that Sharma died by suicide rather than being murdered. She has claimed that she personally witnessed him jump from the balcony and denied having any involvement in his death.
Shraddha has also alleged that Sharma was facing financial distress and had debts of approximately Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. According to her account, he had been under pressure because of his financial circumstances. These claims form part of her version of events and have not, by themselves, established the circumstances of the death.
Her account differs from the allegations raised by Sharma’s family, which led to the registration of the murder case. Investigators will need to examine both versions against the available evidence before drawing conclusions.
In her social media videos, Shraddha offered a detailed account of the events preceding Sharma’s death. She claimed that the two had not spoken for approximately five to six days before October 7.
According to her version, Sharma contacted her driver through a tea stall near the main intersection in the Kapoorthala area on October 7. She alleged that Sharma was crying while speaking over the phone. Shraddha said she subsequently called him twice from her mobile number but received no answer on either occasion.
She claimed that Sharma eventually called her at around 2 am. Following their conversation, he arrived to meet her in his BMW car, after which they went to Peddlers Cafe. Shraddha said Sharma ordered matcha for her and juice for his driver, while also claiming that Sharma had consumed alcohol.
According to her account, they later returned to her residence. She said Sharma was driving her car, while her driver was driving Sharma’s vehicle. These details have been presented as part of Shraddha’s version of events and require assessment alongside the police investigation.
Shraddha has also addressed the presence of her sister Rashmi and Sharma’s friends around the time of the incident. She claimed Rashmi visited her residence on October 8 in connection with a discussion about a religious puja and had limited familiarity with Sharma. She denied that her sister had any connection to his death.
Shraddha further said that two of Sharma’s friends, identified as Ashwini Mishra and Harsh, visited her residence on the same day. She questioned why the friends had not approached the police if they believed Sharma was being subjected to harassment.
She also disputed aspects of the family’s account of her relationship with Sharma. According to Shraddha, she had met him approximately four months earlier and had been in a relationship with him for around two months. She challenged claims made by Sharma’s mother concerning the duration and circumstances of their live-in relationship. These assertions remain part of Shraddha’s public account. Their accuracy and relevance to the investigation have not been conclusively established.
