Lucknow cafe owner murder: Reward for model-influencer doubled to Rs 50,000, senior cop transferred

In a fresh twist in the murder case of Lucknow cafe owner Shiva Sharma, 27, the Uttar Pradesh government has transferred Deputy Commissioner of Police Vikrant Vir, who was supervising the investigation. Vir has been attached to the office of the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP). Hazratganj Station House Officer Vikram Singh has also been removed from his post and attached to the police lines.

Shiva’s live-in partner, model-influencer Shraddha Dubey, her sister Rashmi Dubey and their driver, Tanveer Ali alias Danish, are wanted for murder and remain on the run.

Lucknow Police on Sunday doubled the reward for information leading to their arrest from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 each and obtained non-bailable warrants against them.

The case

Shiva died on the night of October 9 after falling from the fourth floor of Awadh Green Apartment in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area. He was reportedly found in his undergarments, with lipstick marks on his body. His family alleged he was pushed.

The investigation has revealed that Shiva was in a relationship with Shraddha and the two had lived in the Hazratganj apartment for the past three months. Recently, Shraddha’s sister Rashmi, started staying with them.

In viral videos, Shraddha denies murder

At least three videos of Shraddha have surfaced on social media, in which she claims she is innocent.

In a video circulated on Sunday evening, Shraddha claimed that Shiva’s mother had filed a false case against her because she disapproved of their relationship, partly because she was older than Shiva. She urged police to examine CCTV footage from her apartment building, saying it would establish her innocence.

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Shraddha also claimed that police had obtained CCTV footage showing her near the Nepal border but had not retrieved footage from her apartment building.

In another video, she said she had known Shiva for about four months and that he had started visiting her home around two months ago. She claimed he had debts of Rs 16-17 lakh and had sought financial help from her.

She also alleged that Shiva had taken jewellery worth Rs 5-6 lakh from her home about a month before his death. Describing the matter as personal, she claimed he had acknowledged taking the jewellery in a video and promised to return it.

Shradda said she left because she was overwhelmed by emotional distress. She claimed she had initially intended to face the situation but panicked after her driver was allegedly assaulted and accused in the case.

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In Rae Bareli, her hometown, residents said they knew little about her life over the past eight years. They said she rarely visited her father, Shiv Prasad Dubey, and that her family had become increasingly withdrawn from the locality.

“Shraddha’s family had severed ties with almost everyone in the locality and had even stopped stepping out of the house,” said a resident who lives near the family’s home.

Lucknow Police recently visited Rae Bareli to gather information about her background.

On Sunday, DCP Vir had said police teams were conducting raids to trace and arrest the three accused. The reward for information leading to their arrest had been increased, he said.