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Woman killed, stuffed in blue drum in Punjab shocker; body identified by tattoos

The SHO further added that two tattoos were discovered on the woman's body, which helped establish her identity.

Published on: May 27, 2026, 18:09:22 IST
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In a shocking development, a woman's body was found stuffed in a blue drum on Wednesday in Punjab's Patiala. The discovery has prompted police to launch a major investigation into a suspected murder.

The woman, who was identified due to tattoos on her body, was found near a DCW over bridge after police received an alert about a drum containing human remains. (ANI/Representational)
The woman, who was identified due to tattoos on her body, was found near a DCW over bridge after police received an alert about a drum containing human remains. (ANI/Representational)

The woman, who was identified due to tattoos on her body, was found near a DCW over bridge after police received an alert about a drum containing human remains.

"We immediately reached the scene to investigate. We summoned a forensic team to the site to conduct an on-the-spot examination. Subsequently, the body was shifted to the mortuary for identification," said Station House Officer (SHO) Gurpreet Singh.

The SHO further added that two tattoos were discovered on the woman's body, which helped establish her identity.

"Following this, her identity was established; she has been identified as Neha (aged 20+), the daughter of Sant Lal," Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.

The police added that the family belonged to Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur area, but were currently living in Patiala.

Singh also told ANI that the girl's family had been contacted, who told police that she had been missing for a few days, and a missing persons report had also been filed.

Spree of blue drum murders

Earlier this month, a woman was arrested in Thane for allegedly killing her lover and stuffing his body in a blue drum.

PTI reported that the woman killed the man with the help of her brother, and then threw the blue drum in the drain.

In Lucknow, 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 pieces, and put the remains in a blue drum at the family house.

As reported by HT, the crime stemmed from an argument after the father pressured his son to pursue the All India Pre-medical Test exam NEET, instead of B.com.

These murders took place almost a year after the Meerut shocker, which brought the term "blue drum murder" to Indian headlines.

In UP's Meerut, Saurabh Rajput, a merchant navy personnel, was killed by his wife, Muskan Rastogi, and her lover, Sahil Shukla, in 2025. His body was dismembered and stuffed in a blue drum that was sealed with concrete.

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