Head missing, limbs chopped, kerosene to burn remains: Blue drum horror returns to UP as Lucknow teen murders father

LUCKNOW: Chilling details have emerged in the sensational murder of a businessman in Lucknow, where a 19-year-old boy shot dead his father, dismembered the body, and attempted to destroy evidence using kerosene.Police said the accused, Akshat Pratap Singh, killed his father, Manvendra Singh, a pathology and liquor trader, in the early hours of February 20 at their residence in the Ashiyana area. During interrogation, the accused confessed that he shot his father with a licensed rifle following a dispute, allegedly triggered by pressure to clear competitive medical entrance exams such as NEET.Investigators revealed that after the murder, the accused severed the body, cutting off both hands, legs below the knees, and decapitating the victim. The torso was packed in a sleeping bag and hidden inside a blue drum in the house, while other body parts were disposed of in a secluded area near Sadrauna. The victim’s head remains missing.Police sources further said the accused had procured nearly 10 litres of kerosene and was planning to burn the remains to eliminate evidence but was arrested before he could execute the plan.In an attempt to mislead investigators, the accused had filed a missing person complaint, claiming his father had left for Delhi. He also falsely told acquaintances that his father had died by suicide. However, inconsistencies in his statements and suspicious behaviour led to sustained questioning, during which he broke down and confessed.The crime was allegedly committed in the presence of the accused’s sister, who was threatened into silence. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone), Vikrant Vir said that Akshat admitted that frequent disputes with his father over studies and career expectations escalated into violence. “He confessed to shooting his father in anger. The body parts were disposed of at different locations. The accused is in custody, and further legal action is underway,” he said.Forensic teams have collected evidence from the house, and the body has been sent for post-mortem examination. Police are continuing efforts to recover the remaining body parts and reconstruct the sequence of events.