'Check CCTV': Wanted model breaks silence, claims bizman died by suicide

LUCKNOW: Model and socialite Shraddha Dubey, who is wanted in connection with the death of restaurant owner Shiva Sharma, on Sunday issued her first public statement to a news agency denying all allegations of murder and claiming that Sharma died by suicide after jumping from the fourth floor of her apartment building.

Her statement came as Lucknow Police increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Shraddha, her sister Rashmi Dubey and their driver from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 each. While, she still remains elusive.

In a video statement, Shraddha maintained that she was innocent and urged the police to examine CCTV footage from her apartment building, claiming it would establish her innocence. She questioned why investigators had examined CCTV footage near the Nepal border but had not, according to her, retrieved footage from her building. “If the CCTV cameras in my building are examined, I will be proved innocent. I have done nothing,” she said, rejecting the allegations against her.

Shraddha claimed that she had known Sharma for only four months, during which they were friends for around two-and-a-half months. She said he had started visiting her home regularly only during the last two months of their association. She also alleged that Sharma's mother had never approved of their relationship, partly because Shraddha was around 12 years older than him. She claimed the accusations against her were motivated by this hostility.

In her statement, Shraddha said Sharma had told her that he was under financial pressure and owed approximately Rs 16–17 lakh. According to her, he had also asked her for financial assistance. She further claimed that Sharma had taken jewellery worth approximately Rs 5–6 lakh from her home about a month before his death. However, she described the matter as a personal issue and said Sharma had acknowledged taking the jewellery in a video and promised to return it.

Shraddha said she left the apartment because she was experiencing breathing difficulties and was emotionally distressed. She claimed she had wanted to face the situation but became frightened after her driver was allegedly assaulted and accusations of murder were levelled against her. She also defended her sister Rashmi, saying she had visited her after a long time and had no connection with Sharma. Shraddha alleged that her sister had been unnecessarily implicated in the case.

Denying any connection with other people whose photographs with her had circulated, she said photographs alone did not establish involvement in a crime. Appealing to the police and the judiciary, Shraddha called for an impartial investigation and said no one should be branded a criminal before the allegations were established. “I request the police and the judiciary to ensure a fair investigation. Accusing someone of murder and portraying them as a criminal across the country is not justice,” she said.

Shraddha, her sister Rashmi and their driver remain wanted in connection with Sharma's death. Police have increased the reward to Rs 50,000 each for information leading to their arrest, as efforts to trace them continue. Sharma died on October 9 after falling from the fourth floor of an apartment in Lucknow's Hazratganj area. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. Shraddha's claims about suicide, the alleged financial dispute and the jewellery have not been independently verified.