Lucknow: Shraddha Dubey, the prime accused in the death of 28-year-old Shiva Sharma, surfaced publicly for the first time in a brief video interview on Sunday, denying allegations of murder even as she remained untraceable to Lucknow Police, who say they are pursuing multiple leads including a suspected Nepal link.Her appearance came amid speculation that she would surrender at Hazratganj police station, a development that did not materialise. Instead, Dubey spoke to a news agency from an undisclosed location in a video lasting three minutes and 56 seconds, disputing the accusation that she and others were involved in Sharma’s death.Police have doubled the reward for information leading to Dubey’s arrest from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000. Her current location has not been officially confirmed, and investigators have not said whether the interview yielded actionable information about her whereabouts. In a parallel move, Hazratganj SHO Vikram Singh was removed and sent to the reserve police lines.In the interview, Dubey claimed Sharma died by suicide after jumping from the fourth floor of her building. She questioned why CCTV footage from the premises had not been released, arguing that it could clarify the sequence of events. Police have not responded publicly to her remarks about the CCTV recordings, and the footage has not been made public.Earlier, DCP Central Vikrant Vir said police teams were working to trace the accused and were close to locating them, but declined to share operational details, citing the risk of information reaching those being sought. Police sources said Dubey’s suspected location was traced to Mahimnagar in Nepal and that three teams were sent across the border to pursue leads. A 16-member team has also been involved in the search, with investigators suspecting Dubey, her sister Rashmi, and their driver were frequently changing locations to evade arrest.An SUV registered in Dubey’s name was earlier found abandoned near Rupaidiha, close to the India-Nepal border, strengthening suspicions she may have travelled in that direction. Police, however, have not publicly established her movements after the vehicle’s recovery.Sharma died on Oct 9 after falling from the fourth floor of a building near Ballu Adda in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area. His mother, Rachna Sharma, accused Dubey and others of involvement, following which a case was registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Dubey rejected claims made by Sharma’s mother and denied that a diary had revealed incriminating details. She also objected to photographs of her with different people circulating on social media and said her sister had no knowledge of the incident.Dubey said she had known Sharma for about four months and claimed he was under financial stress, with debts of ₹16-17 lakh and creditors calling him. She alleged he took jewellery worth ₹5-6 lakh from her residence about a month before his death and promised in a video to return it. These assertions have not been independently verified.Explaining why she left while Sharma was being taken to hospital, Dubey said she had breathing difficulties and personal reasons, and claimed her driver fled after being assaulted. She appealed for a fair investigation, stating no one should be declared guilty before the probe concludes. Police have not confirmed her location or reported her arrest.
