Police on Monday morning arrested Vivek Chaubey alias Nikhil, the main accused in the murder of M.Sc. student Shreya Upadhyay in Varanasi’s Rajatalab area, after an encounter. The accused had been absconding for about 20 days. According to police, he opened fire at the police team to avoid arrest and was injured by a bullet in his leg during the retaliatory firing. He was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment. Police said a .315-bore country-made pistol and cartridges were recovered from his possession.
According to police, an informant provided information that Vivek Chaubey, the main accused in the Shreya murder case, was hiding in the Jagatdevpur area. Acting on the information, a Rajatalab police team reached the area and surrounded it. Police asked the accused to surrender, but he allegedly fired at the police team. During the retaliatory firing, he was shot in the leg and fell injured. Police then arrested him and admitted him to hospital for treatment.
ADCP Rajatalab Nripendra Kumar said Vivek Chaubey is the main accused in the murder of Shreya Upadhyay. During police questioning, the accused reportedly cited a marriage-related dispute as the reason behind the murder. According to police, Vivek was angry after Shreya’s marriage was fixed with another man. He allegedly pressured Shreya to marry him, but she was not willing to do so. Police said that because of this resentment, he conspired with his associate Puneet Mishra to murder her.
The case relates to August 18, 2026. According to police and available reports, Shreya Upadhyay left her home that day to go to college but did not return. Her family subsequently filed a missing-person complaint. On August 20, her body was recovered from the bathroom of a rented room in Varanasi’s Bachhaon-Pashchimpara area. After the body was found, police began investigating the case and deployed several teams to search for the accused.
During the investigation, police obtained several important clues against Vivek Chaubey. According to police, the accused was angry because Shreya’s marriage had been fixed elsewhere. The investigation had also previously indicated that Vivek was unhappy with Shreya’s attitude after her marriage was fixed. Police had earlier arrested Vivek’s associate Puneet Mishra following an encounter. Later, the role of Vivek’s father, Ram Sahay Chaubey, also emerged during the investigation, and police arrested him.
According to police, three people have so far been arrested in the murder case. The arrest of the main accused, Vivek Chaubey, is expected to help advance the investigation. Police will now question him about how the murder plan was prepared, who was involved in the incident and who helped him remain in hiding for about 20 days after the crime.
Shreya’s family had continuously demanded the arrest of the accused following her murder. At the beginning of September, the family again urged police to arrest the main accused at the earliest. At that time, Vivek Chaubey remained out of police custody and the search for him was continuing. His arrest after the encounter has now advanced police action against the absconding main accused.
The marriage dispute has emerged as an important point in the investigation. According to available police information, Shreya’s marriage had been fixed with another man, which had angered Vivek Chaubey. Police said the accused wanted to marry Shreya and that after her refusal and the fixing of her marriage elsewhere, he took the alleged criminal step. However, all aspects concerning the circumstances of the murder and the accused’s role will be established through further police investigation and the judicial process.
Earlier, on August 24, police arrested accused Puneet Mishra during an encounter. According to police, Mishra was also shot in the leg during that operation and a firearm was recovered from him. After questioning, police said Vivek Chaubey’s role and the resentment related to Shreya’s marriage emerged in the case. Police subsequently continued searching for Vivek.
Following Vivek Chaubey’s arrest, police are working to connect the sequence of events and examine the evidence in the case. Police may question him about the locations where he stayed while absconding, the people he remained in contact with and other aspects linked to the crime. Police will also investigate whom the accused contacted before and after the murder and whether any other person helped him hide or escape.
According to police, the accused wanted to marry Shreya and was angry after her marriage was fixed with another man. However, the final determination of the allegations against any accused will be made through the judicial process.
The injured main accused, Vivek Chaubey, is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. Police are proceeding with further legal action following his arrest. According to police, action will be taken against him under murder and other relevant sections. Investigating agencies are examining the statements of the arrested accused alongside the available evidence to establish the complete sequence of the incident.
