Now, blue drum horror in Lucknow: Man, 21, shoots father dead in front of sister, dismembers body; arrested
The accused put the remains in a blue drum at the family home in Lucknow’s upscale Ashiana area, disposed of some parts
A 21-year-old BCom student allegedly shot his father, a liquor businessman and pathology lab owner, dead on the morning of February 20, chopped the body into several pieces, and put the remains in a blue drum at the family home in Lucknow’s upscale Ashiana area, police said on Monday.
The student was arrested on Monday and confessed to the murder, the police added.
The victim’s torso and head were found inside the drum while hands and legs were thrown away by the accused in a bid to conceal his crime.
The murder comes almost a year blue plastic drum became an infamous national symbol following the March 2025 Meerut murder case, where 29-year-old Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput was killed by his wife, Muskan Rastogi, and her lover, Sahil Shukla.
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In the Meerut case, criminals dismembered the body into 15 pieces, placed them in a large blue drum, and sealed it with wet cement to mask the odour and delay discovery.
According to police sources, the son often had an argument with his father and was planning to kill him for almost a year after he read about the Meerut case on social media.
{{/usCountry}}According to police sources, the son often had an argument with his father and was planning to kill him for almost a year after he read about the Meerut case on social media.
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{{/usCountry}}The Lucknow crime stemmed from an argument after the father pressured his son to pursue NEET, instead of B.com; however, the latter disagreed, said Vikrant Vir, deputy commissioner of police, Central.
{{/usCountry}}The Lucknow crime stemmed from an argument after the father pressured his son to pursue NEET, instead of B.com; however, the latter disagreed, said Vikrant Vir, deputy commissioner of police, Central.
{{/usCountry}}“ Manvendra Singh, 49, had been reported missing for three days by his son. Police arrested Akshat Singh, 21, after his conflicting statements unravelled the plot,” said DCP.
{{/usCountry}}“ Manvendra Singh, 49, had been reported missing for three days by his son. Police arrested Akshat Singh, 21, after his conflicting statements unravelled the plot,” said DCP.
{{/usCountry}}He added that the gruesome discovery was made at their three-storey residence in Ashiana Sector L, where forensic teams are now looking for evidence. The murder was committed on February 20 around 4.30am, according to the police.
{{/usCountry}}He added that the gruesome discovery was made at their three-storey residence in Ashiana Sector L, where forensic teams are now looking for evidence. The murder was committed on February 20 around 4.30am, according to the police.
{{/usCountry}}“After a heated argument with Manvendra, Akshat grabbed his father’s licensed rifle and fired a shot, killing him on the spot,” read a police statement. The act was committed in front of Akshat’s younger sister, a Class 11 student. He allegedly threatened to kill her if she spoke out.
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“The sister witnessed the entire episode but was intimidated into silence,” said the DCP.
Manvendra, owner of Vardhman Pathology Lab in Kakori and also involved in the liquor trade, was last seen alive that morning. Akshat later told police his father had woken him at 6am, claiming he was heading to Delhi and would return by afternoon. But with Manvendra’s three mobile numbers going offline, the family grew anxious or so Akshat pretended.
“To erase evidence, Akshat dragged the body from the third floor to an empty ground-floor room. There, he dismembered it using tools from the house. He loaded some parts into his car and drove to Sadrauna, a remote area, where he dumped them,” said Kshatrapal, the Ashiana SHO.
“The torso and head were stuffed into a blue plastic drum, hidden in the same room. Akshat planned to dispose of it later but was caught before he could. He was in the process of getting rid of the torso when we intervened,” the DCP added.
On Monday evening, officers raided the home with Akshat in custody and recovered the drum containing the mutilated remains. Forensic experts are examining bloodstains in the car and house, while teams search Sadrauna for the missing parts. Akshat’s attempt to clean the car raised suspicions of his aunt, who questioned him about it but he brushed it off.
When questioned by police, Akshat first claimed his father committed suicide, then admitted to the murder.
“Strict interrogation led to his confession,” the DCP confirmed.
The Singh family hails from Jalaun district. Manvendra’s father is a retired Uttar Pradesh Police officer. Manvendra’s wife passed away nine years ago.
