Co-accused held after encounter in MSc student murder case; police say ₹22 lakh promised for killing

 

By Sagaya Fernando | August 26, 2026

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA: Police have arrested a co-accused in connection with the alleged murder of 22-year-old MSc student Shreya Upadhyay, whose decomposed body was recovered from the bathroom of a rented room in Varanasi’s Rohania area on August 20.

The arrested accused, identified as Puneet Mishra, a resident of Mau district, was apprehended following an encounter near Jakhini on Monday, August 24, police said. He sustained a bullet injury to his leg during the exchange of fire and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Police alleged that Mishra assisted the prime accused, Vivek Choubey, in killing Upadhyay and was promised ₹22 lakh for his role in the crime. Choubey remains absconding, and multiple police teams are conducting raids to trace him.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Gomti) and DCP Crime Neetu Kadyan said a murder case was registered on a complaint lodged by Upadhyay’s family, naming Choubey as an accused. Four police teams were subsequently formed to investigate the case.

CCTV footage leads police to second suspect

As part of the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from the area surrounding Choubey’s rented accommodation in Bachhaon, under the Rohania police station limits.

Investigators said footage from August 18 showed another man in the vicinity along with Choubey and Upadhyay. According to police, the man was seen on the terrace of the building at around 9.45 pm.

Choubey and Upadhyay were subsequently seen entering the house. Police said Choubey emerged from the premises about 18 minutes later. The second man was also seen leaving the location.

Investigators said Choubey left on a motorcycle, while the other man travelled away in a cab.

Police traced the cab driver and obtained the passenger’s mobile number. Analysis of call detail records and cab-booking information subsequently led investigators to identify the man as Mishra.

According to police, Mishra’s call records showed frequent communication with Choubey. Investigators also claimed that Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) analysis placed Mishra at the scene of the alleged crime and later at his maternal uncle’s house in Chunar.

Police encounter near Jakhini

Police said they later received information that Mishra had been spotted near Jamuni Tiraha in the Jakhini area.

During a checking operation on the Ramaipur-Rampur road, officers spotted Mishra travelling on a motorcycle with another person, police said.

When officers signalled them to stop, Mishra’s associate allegedly opened fire at the police team and managed to escape. Police said they returned fire in self-defence, during which Mishra suffered a bullet injury to his leg.

Officers claimed to have recovered a .315-bore firearm, live cartridges and empty cartridge cases from Mishra.

He was provided initial medical treatment before being taken into custody.

Police alleged that during questioning, Mishra disclosed that Choubey was his long-time friend and had offered him ₹22 lakh to assist in Upadhyay’s murder. Investigators claim Mishra admitted that he and Choubey carried out the killing together.

Police said Mishra is being produced for remand, while teams continue searching for Choubey.

Student disappeared while travelling to college

Upadhyay, a first-year MSc student at Jagatpur PG College, left her home for college on August 18 but failed to return.

Her family said they began calling her at around 2.30 pm that day, but she did not answer.

Her mother, Rita Upadhyay, said the family became increasingly worried because her daughter would normally have contacted them if she faced any difficulty.

The family subsequently tried to trace her whereabouts and said information from her mobile phone pointed them towards Bachhaon, where Choubey was staying in a rented room while reportedly carrying out fieldwork for a rural bank.

Upadhyay’s cousin, Anshuman Upadhyay, said he went to the address and alerted police. According to the family, the room was locked when officers arrived.

Relatives alleged that police initially declined their request to break open the lock and suggested that Upadhyay and Choubey, both adults, might have gone somewhere together. Police have not publicly responded in detail to the family’s allegations regarding the initial handling of the missing-person complaint.

The family continued searching for Upadhyay and contacted Choubey’s relatives. They reportedly found one of Choubey’s bags at a relative’s house, with the key to his rented room inside.

When family members returned to the rented accommodation and opened it, they noticed a foul smell.

Upadhyay’s decomposed body was subsequently discovered in the waterlogged bathroom.

Her family has alleged that an earlier search of the premises could have resulted in the body being discovered sooner and may have prevented Choubey from fleeing.

Family alleges threats over marriage

Upadhyay’s father, Sunil Upadhyay, alleged that Choubey had proposed marriage to his daughter around 18 months earlier, but she rejected the proposal.

According to her father, Upadhyay had made it clear that she did not want to marry Choubey.

Her family later arranged her marriage to another man. An engagement had reportedly taken place, and the wedding was scheduled for February 2027.

Relatives alleged that Choubey became aggressive after learning about the proposed marriage and repeatedly pressured Upadhyay to call it off. The family also accused him of threatening her parents and saying that he would not allow the wedding to take place.

The family alleged that Choubey contacted Upadhyay through calls and messages on August 17 and 18. They suspect he intercepted her while she was travelling to college on August 18 and took her to his rented accommodation.

Upadhyay’s father has further alleged that Choubey wanted to marry his daughter because he believed she would inherit family property. The family claims her refusal to marry him eventually led to the killing.

Post-mortem indicates excessive bleeding

According to the investigation so far, preliminary post-mortem findings suggest that Upadhyay died from excessive bleeding. Injury marks reportedly caused by a sharp-edged weapon were also found on her body.

Samples have been preserved and sent for forensic examination as investigators seek to establish the exact circumstances, sequence of events and cause of the fatal injuries.

Police are also examining CCTV footage, digital records, call data and other forensic evidence as part of the investigation.

With Mishra now in custody, investigators are focusing on tracing Choubey and determining the full sequence of events surrounding Upadhyay’s disappearance and death.

Further investigation is underway.