Key Points:
A 21 year old man allegedly shot his father dead in Lucknow after an argument over NEET preparation.
The incident occurred on February 20, 2026, at their home in Aashiana.
The accused reportedly dismembered the body and hid the torso in a blue plastic drum.
He filed a missing complaint before police grew suspicious and arrested him on February 23.
Police recovered the licensed rifle and forensic evidence; search for the missing head is ongoing.
Lucknow: On February 20, a 21 year old man allegedly shot his father dead at their home in the Aashiana area of Lucknow following a heated argument over pressure to crack the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, commonly known as NEET.
Police identified the accused as Akshat Pratap Singh and the victim as his 50 year old father, Manvendra Pratap Singh, a businessman who ran Vardhman Pathology and was also involved in the liquor trade.
According to investigators, the shooting took place around 4:30 am inside their multistorey residence.
Officials said Akshat used his father’s licensed rifle during the argument. The confrontation reportedly stemmed from repeated pressure by Manvendra on his son to focus on preparing for NEET and pursue a medical career.
Police revealed that Akshat had passed Class 12 with Biology but was not actively preparing for the medical entrance examination. He was working at his father’s liquor business and earning approximately Rs 17,000 per month. Investigators believe growing resentment over academic expectations triggered the fatal escalation.
Akshat’s younger sister was present in the house at the time of the shooting. Police stated that he allegedly threatened her and warned her not to inform anyone about what had happened.
After shooting his father, Akshat allegedly dragged the body from the third floor to a room on the ground floor. Police said he dismembered the body in an attempt to destroy evidence.
He placed the torso and other body parts inside a blue plastic drum inside the house. Investigators later recovered the drum during a search operation.
Some body parts were loaded into his car and disposed of near Sadrauna village on the outskirts of Lucknow. Police confirmed that the head is still missing and search operations are ongoing to recover it.
In an attempt to deflect suspicion, Akshat himself filed a missing person complaint for his father on February 20.
However, the case took a dramatic turn on February 23 when a police patrol team noticed him behaving suspiciously while attempting to dispose of the torso. Officers questioned him, and inconsistencies in his statements raised suspicion.
During sustained interrogation, he allegedly confessed to the crime. Police then brought him back to the house, where they recovered the mutilated remains from the drum.
Investigators seized the licensed rifle used in the shooting, along with cartridges, bloodstained materials from the house, and items from the accused’s car. A ricochet bullet was also recovered from the crime scene.
Forensic teams are examining the evidence as police prepare to file charges under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder and destruction of evidence.
Police said Manvendra’s wife had died in 2018. The family includes Akshat, his younger sister who studies in Class 11, and a younger brother who serves with the Uttar Pradesh Police and is posted at the state secretariat in Lucknow.
Authorities have placed Akshat in custody and are continuing their investigation. Officers are also working to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine whether the crime was pre thought.
(Rh/ARC)
