- Akshat Pratap Singh killed his father after a fight over stolen money for liquor license renewal
- He shot his father in sleep, then dismembered and disposed of the body over two days
- Akshat stole cash and jewelry earlier, blaming the maid, to fund gifts and drug use
Hours before Akshat Pratap Singh murdered his father and chopped the body into pieces, the two engaged in a heated argument over the accused stealing money to pay for the renewal of a liquor licence, their neighbour revealed.
On the night of February 19, Manvendra Singh returned home to find that Rs 50 lakh cash was missing. When he questioned his accused son, he found out that Akshat had stolen the money for a liquor contract - the online application for which was expiring on February 23, the neighbour said. This soon turned into a heated argument when Manvendra, enraged, slapped Akshat and pointeda rifle at him.
In an act of revenge, Akshat went to his father's room around 4 am, took the rifle, and shot him in his sleep. Minutes later, he moved the body from the third floor of the family home to a vacant room on the ground floor, where he used a machine to dismember the body. Sources said that he severed the legs below the knees, chopped off both hands, and decapitated the victim. He then disposed of the chopped parts near Sadrauna on the outskirts of Lucknow - around 21 kilometres away from his home, over two days.
The accused had kept his father's torso in a blue drum, wrapped in a sleeping bag, inside his car. As he was leaving to dispose it off on February 22, the liquor shop accountant arrived at his house, leading him to cancel his plan.
Sources also revealed that the accused used a room freshener to keep the stench away.
The grisly crime was witnessed by the accused's sister - whom he reportedly threatened into silence.
Read More: "Would've Cremated Him Alone": Lucknow Man Who Murdered Father To Cops
In a move to divert the police, Akshat also filed a missing person report for his father.
Accused stole cash, jewellery from father
A few days before the killing, Akshat had stolen jewellery and cash from the house and blamed the maid for the theft. According to the accused's neighbour, he stole it to buy expensive gifts for his girlfriend and to indulge in debauchery. His father was aware of Akshat's relationship, he told NDTV.
"He was addicted to drugs, which troubled Manavendra," he added.
The accused also transferred a large amount of money to another unidentified person's bank account. The cops are investigating the bank details, officials said.
Accused's regret
When Akshat was leaving the court, NDTV questioned him whether he regretted killing his father.
Without raising his head or saying a word, Akshat nodded "yes".
He also denied the involvement of any other family member in the incident.
