Fashion model Shraddha Dubey, the live-in partner of Lucknow cafe owner Shiva Sharma and a key accused in his alleged murder, fled Lucknow with her boyfriend Aamir on the night of October 9, police said. Aamir allegedly took her to the Nepal border and provided her with a mobile phone and a SIM card obtained using a fake identity to help her evade the police.The case pertains to the death of 28-year-old Sharma, who fell from the balcony of an apartment building in Lucknow's Hazratganj area on October 9.

What was initially treated as an accidental death turned into a suspected murder investigation after Sharma's family alleged that he had been assaulted and tortured before being thrown from the building.Aamir has been taken into police custody as the Uttar Pradesh Police continues its crackdown on those allegedly helping Dubey evade arrest.Dubey, 31, was arrested in Nagpur on Tuesday by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and Lucknow Police, with assistance from the Nagpur Police Crime Branch. She was found hiding in a flat on Wardha Road and arrested around 3.30 pm after being on the run for 11 days.

Nagpur Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Deepak Agrawal confirmed her arrest.Dubey, her sister Rashmi and their associate Tanvir Ali, alias Danish, were subsequently produced before a magistrate at the Nagpur District and Sessions Court on Wednesday. The Uttar Pradesh Police sought transit remand for all three, and the court granted 72 hours of transit remand.

The three accused were then taken by road from Nagpur to Lucknow.Sharma's death has been under investigation as a suspected murder, with Dubey, Rashmi, their driver and two others booked by Hazratganj Police.Lucknow Police had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for information leading to the arrest of Dubey, Rashmi and Danish. The reward was later increased to Rs 50,000.The case drew further attention after a video of an interview with Dubey emerged on Sunday.

In videos circulated earlier on social media, she denied any role in Sharma's death and claimed that he had died by suicide because of financial distress.Dubey alleged that Sharma owed between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh and had spoken about ending his life if he could not repay the money. Recounting the events of October 9, she claimed that Sharma entered a bathroom at her residence and locked the door.

She said she asked her sister to check on him, but Sharma jumped from the balcony before the door could be opened.Dubey maintained that CCTV footage would show what had happened and denied allegations that Sharma had been tortured or assaulted. She also claimed that she had handed Sharma's phone to the police, saying it could help establish his communications with lenders.Sharma's mother, Ranjana, repeatedly demanded the arrest of the accused and questioned Dubey's claim that her son had died by suicide.

She also asked why Dubey had not given this version of events to the police earlier.- Ends