Lucknow: In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves through Lucknow, a 19-year-old student has been arrested for allegedly murdering his father and concealing the body in a plastic drum. The crime, which took place in the Ashiyana area, involves the son of a prominent local businessman who reportedly resorted to the extreme step after being reprimanded by his father.
The victim, Manvendra Singh, was the owner of Vardhman Pathology and resided in Sector L. He had been reported missing since February 20, a report filed by the accused himself to mislead the authorities. However, the search ended in a gruesome discovery when police found Singh’s body stuffed inside a blue drum on the ground floor of the family home.
Investigation revealed that the suspect, Akshat Pratap Singh, a B.Com student, used his father’s licensed rifle to shoot him in the head during the early hours of February 20. According to DCP Central Vikrant Veer, Akshat then dragged the body to an unoccupied section of the house and placed it in the drum to erase evidence.
Neighbors described Akshat as a “stubborn and rebellious” individual since childhood, noting that he had struggled emotionally following the death of his mother years ago. This was not his first act of defiance; four years prior, he had reportedly run away from home, leaving behind a letter expressing his resentment toward his family.
The plot began to unravel when police noticed glaring inconsistencies in Akshat’s statements during routine questioning of family members. Although he initially tried to frame the death as a suicide, the forensic evidence including severe injuries to the head and legs pointed toward a violent struggle. Under sustained interrogation, Akshat eventually confessed to the murder, citing constant scolding and friction with his father as the primary motive.
The police have recovered the licensed weapon and taken Akshat into custody. This case adds to a disturbing trend of violent “blue drum” murders reported across the country, highlighting a grim escalation in domestic conflicts.
