Lucknow: Assistant Commissioner of Police (Hazratganj) Rajneesh Kumar Verma was removed from his post Monday, making him the third police officer to face action over the media appearance of model-influencer Shraddha Dubey. An accused in the death of Lucknow businessman Shiva Sharma, Dubey gave a media byte Sunday, even as Uttar Pradesh Police continue to be on the lookout for her.
At least 10 police teams have been searching for Dubey for the past 10 days in connection with Sharma’s death, ThePrint has learnt. The reward for leading police to the accused, including Dubey, is Rs 50,000. Non-bailable warrants have also been issued against them.
Earlier, Shraddha Dubey’s media appearance had led to the removal of Vikram Singh, inspector, Hazratganj police station, followed by action against Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Vikrant Veer. The DGP HQ had reportedly expressed displeasure over their handling of the case, following which officers were summoned for a review and removed.
On her part, Dubey has released video statements denying the allegations against her and demanding a fair investigation.
On Sunday, a new video emerged showing her speaking to news agency ANI. In the video, she claimed innocence and called for an impartial probe. In the three-minute and fifty six-second video, Dubey described the allegations against her as baseless. She claimed Shiva Sharma died by suicide and that she saw him jump from the fourth floor of her building.
Dubey said CCTV footage from the building would establish what happened.
Questioning the police investigation, she asked why investigators had checked cameras along the Nepal border but were yet to retrieve the CCTV footage from her building. She claimed the CCTV footage would prove her innocence.
#WATCH | Shiva Sharma murder case | One of the accused in the murder case, Shraddha Dubey, says, "All the allegations are baseless. Just because someone claims we committed murder doesn't mean we did. It was a suicide; I witnessed him jump from the fourth floor of my building. If… pic.twitter.com/2A3GcYwHdX
— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2026
Dubey also said that she had known Shiva Sharma for around four months. She claimed their communication could be verified through call detail record (CDR). According to her, Sharma was a friend during the first two and a half months and did not visit her home. His visits began around a month and a half before his death.
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Shiva Sharma case
The case came to light on 9 October when 28-year-old Shiva Sharma fell to his death from the fourth floor of Awadh Green Apartments in Lucknow.
Residents rushed to the spot after hearing a loud noise and found him lying on the ground with serious injuries. Sharma later succumbed to injuries.
Following his death, Sharma’s mother lodged a complaint alleging murder. Police subsequently registered a case against Dubey and four others.
Sharma’s family has alleged that Dubey used the names of influential people to intimidate and blackmail him. Police are also examining her past disputes, if any, financial transactions and network of contacts as part of the investigation.
The investigation has also drawn attention to Dubey’s alleged links to history-sheeters. According to sources in UP police, photographs of Dubey with Abhishek Singh alias Babu Singh, a history-sheeter from Lucknow seen as close to the Mukhtar Ansari gang, are viral.
The allegations, however, do not establish her involvement in any criminal activity.
Sharma’s family has also alleged that Dubey had previously filed complaints of molestation and other offences against several people, including at Hazratganj police station.
Dubey is originally from Raebareli and was previously married to one Prince Dubey. The couple got divorced in 2022, according to police sources. Dubey, it is learnt, initially stayed with her sister after moving to Lucknow and subsequently rented a flat in the city.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)