Police remand for son in grisly Lucknow patricide case; pressure over NEET apparent trigger, says police

Lucknow, Feb 24 (PTI) A day after a 21-year-old man was arrested for allegedly shooting dead his father, dismembering the body and hiding the torso in a drum in Ashiyana area here, an officer on Tuesday said the accused has been sent to police remand and is being further questioned to ascertain other aspects of the case.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Jitendra Kumar Dubey told PTI that the accused, Akshat Singh, is in police custody and is being interrogated.

"Prima facie, the root of the incident appears to be anger over his father repeatedly pressuring him to focus on studies and clear the NEET medical entrance examination. However, further questioning is underway and a thorough investigation is in progress," Dubey said.

On Monday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Vikrant Vir said Akshat allegedly shot dead his father, Manvendra Singh (50), around 4.30 am on February 20 following a dispute. The accused later chopped his body parts in an attempt to destroy evidence, disposing the severed hands and legs at different locations in Lucknow, while concealing the torso inside a drum kept at the ground floor of their house.

Police said the accused has confessed to the crime and the weapon used in the murder has been recovered. A forensic team has examined the spot and collected evidence. The body has been sent for post-mortem.

The grisly crime has left residents of Sector L in Ashiyana shaken. A neighbour, who had joined the family in searching for Manvendra Singh after learning that he had gone missing, said it was unimaginable that the son could commit such an act.

The neighbour said on February 20, after the family claimed Manvendra had gone missing, locals accompanied them to the police station. However, Akshat allegedly told them that he had already lodged a complaint and was in touch with the police, thereby deflecting suspicion.

Manvendra Singh's brother, who had been in business with him for several years, said he never suspected his nephew. Speaking to a television channel, he said he had called his brother on the evening of February 20 but found his phone switched off.

"When I spoke to my nephew, he told me that his father had gone to Delhi on urgent work and would return in two days. The next day too, all his phones were switched off, which raised suspicion. I went to the house and inquired, but never imagined that Akshat could be involved," he said.

Family members and neighbours said Manvendra Singh owned four pathology centres and three liquor shops and was financially well-off. His brother said he was not fully aware of any extreme academic pressure on Akshat, adding that the family was financially capable of securing admission to a private medical college if required.

The victim's brother also said he did not have the courage to see the torso when informed that it was found inside a blue drum on the ground floor of the house.

Police and neighbours said Manvendra Singh's wife had died earlier and he is survived by a son and a daughter. The family lived on the third floor of the three-storey house, while the middle floor was rented out and the ground floor was vacant.

Further investigation is underway, police added. PTI KIS ARB ARB