Harshad Chopda has been eliminated from Lock Upp after deciding to make Shivangi Joshi the show's first finalist. The dramatic turn came after Shreya Kalra used her special advantage to eliminate Shivangi, a move that sparked strong reactions inside the jail.
After the contestants—except Harshad and Ram Kapoor—told host Riteish Deshmukh they supported Shreya's decision, Riteish reminded Harshad that he had earlier been given an opportunity to make Shivangi the first finalist while also saving both of them, but had instead chosen to secure his own position.
Responding to the remark, Harshad said he had long been accused of pretending and had therefore decided to start playing only for himself.
Riteish then presented him with a final choice. He offered Harshad the chance to immediately make Shivangi the first finalist and exit the show alongside her. Throughout the exchange, Shivangi repeatedly insisted that Harshad had done what he believed was right and reminded everyone that Shreya—not Harshad—had made the decision to eliminate her.
Ram Kapoor told Harshad that he was not actually playing for himself, but Harshad disagreed, maintaining that he was. Yogesh Rawat and Akanksha Chamola also tried to persuade him to reconsider.
Before leaving the show, Harshad ultimately chose to make Shivangi the season's first finalist, a decision that resulted in his own termination.
WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER
The previous episode began with a task to determine the first finalist of the season. Contestants were required to unanimously select one participant to move a step closer to the finale.
At the beginning of the task, Shreya earned a special advantage, while Yogesh Rawat surprised everyone by accepting Rs 10 lakh without exiting the competition.
As the challenge progressed, Laila, Shilpa Shinde, Ram Kapoor and Akanksha Chamola voluntarily withdrew from the race, leaving Harshad and Shivangi as the final two contestants inside the cell.
During the conversation, Harshad admitted that he had intentionally lost an earlier task, telling Shivangi, "I did lose that game," a confession that left her emotional.
Shivangi then told Harshad that if winning Lock Upp 2 was destined for her, the trophy would eventually come to her, urging him not to sacrifice his own game. Both contestants continued insisting that the other deserved to advance.
When neither was willing to make the final decision, Riteish intervened and asked them to choose.
Although both initially offered to step aside, Harshad eventually decided to stay, saying he finally wanted to play for himself. Shivangi then stepped out of the cell, making Harshad the first finalist at that point.
The emotional exchange continued as Shivangi broke down, saying Harshad was no more deserving of the finalist position than she was. Harshad also appeared visibly emotional.
The final twist came when Riteish revealed that Shreya's special advantage gave her the power to eliminate one contestant. After hearing the opinions of the housemates, Shreya chose Shivangi, leaving the contestants stunned and setting the stage for the next dramatic turn in the competition.
Lock Upp streams daily, except Fridays, at 8 pm on Netflix.
