Lucknow court denies bail to model Shraddha Dubey, two others in Shiva Sharma death case

LUCKNOW: A Lucknow court has denied bail to model Shraddha Dubey, her sister Rashmi, and their driver Tanveer in the murder case of cafe owner Shiva Sharma, citing the gravity of the charges. The three accused, who were arrested in Nagpur after a brief period of absconding, will now approach the sessions court for relief.

Shiva Sharma, aged 28, died on October 9 after falling from the fourth-floor balcony of Dubey’s apartment in the Balu Adda area of Lucknow. While police initially registered the incident as an accidental death, a murder FIR was lodged following allegations by Sharma’s mother that her son was assaulted and pushed from the building. Dubey, 31, had been on the run before being apprehended alongside her sister and driver from an apartment in Nagpur on October 20.

On Thursday, the trio was subjected to over six hours of interrogation at the Hazratganj police station. During the questioning, Dubey reportedly remained silent and directed the investigators to communicate only through her legal counsel. Following the interrogation and a brief medical examination at the Civil Hospital, the magistrate rejected their bail applications, observing that the offence is serious and triable by a sessions court. The accused have been remanded to 10 days of judicial custody.

Central DCP Arpit Vijayvargiya confirmed that two mobile phones and other recovered items have been sealed and dispatched for forensic analysis. The police are also investigating the network of individuals who allegedly aided the trio during their flight from Lucknow. In a previous statement to a news agency while absconding, Dubey stated, "The allegations are baseless; CCTV footage will prove my innocence," asserting that Sharma died by suicide and was facing severe financial stress.

The rejection of bail at the magistrate level underscores the judiciary's strict stance on cases involving alleged foul play where the gravity of the offence is high. The transition of the case to the sessions court indicates that the investigating agency has gathered substantial preliminary evidence to substantiate the murder charges, shifting the legal burden heavily onto the defence to prove their claim of accidental death or suicide.

As the forensic reports on the seized electronic devices await analysis, the investigation is expected to delve deeper into the digital footprints and financial transactions of the accused. The defence's subsequent bail hearing in the sessions court will be a critical juncture in determining the trajectory of this high-profile case in the capital city.