Shiva Sharma murder: 11-day multi-city search ends with arrest of Shraddha Dubey

New Delhi: After an intensive 11-day manhunt, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) and Lucknow Police, working alongside local law enforcement, have arrested Shraddha Dubey in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Dubey, the prime accused in the high-profile Shiva Sharma murder case, was taken into custody alongside her sister, Rashmi Dubey, and their driver, Danish.

All three individuals carried a cash bounty of Rs 50,000 each announced by the Lucknow Police Commissionerate. Explaining why it took over a week to catch the suspects, STF Chief and ADG (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash noted that Shraddha Dubey had a working knowledge of police operational procedures and technical surveillance methods, which enabled the group to evade tracking units for several days.

Multiple specialised teams, including units from the UP STF headquarters, Lucknow STF, Lucknow City Police, and Varanasi STF had been deployed to trail the suspects. When technical analysis finally confirmed their presence in Nagpur, a joint operation was executed to arrest all three.

FIR registered under Section 103(1) of BNS

The case traces back to 9 October 2026, when a formal murder complaint was registered at Lucknow’s Hazratganj Police Station based on a written report filed by Ranjana Sharma.

Following the complaint, the police booked Shraddha Dubey, Rashmi Dubey, and Danish under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to murder. The trio disappeared immediately after the case was lodged, prompting law enforcement to set up special squads and declare the cash rewards.

Transit remand and further investigation

According to STF Chief Amitabh Yash, legal formalities to secure transit remand from a local court in Nagpur are underway to transfer the accused back to Lucknow.

Once presented before a Lucknow court, investigators plan to seek custody to question them thoroughly. Police aim to establish each suspect’s specific role in the sequence of events leading to Shiva Sharma’s death and map out their movements and logistical support during the 11 days they spent on the run.