Man watched Drishyam 3, killed father with axe, phone call led to arrest

A 26-year-old man from Bihar allegedly watched the Bollywood crime thriller Drishyam 3 in Surat before travelling nearly 2,000 km to his home in Samastipur and hacking his sleeping father to death with an axe, police said on Sunday (4 October). The murder took place late on the night of 26 July in Darwa village. The victim, Raghuveer Sahni, 50, was sleeping outside his house when his son, Shiv Shankar, allegedly attacked him repeatedly with an axe and fled, according to police.

Shiv Shankar, who lived and worked in Surat, had a strained relationship with his father over a land dispute and alleged abuse, both outlets reported. He switched off his mobile phone during the journey to avoid a digital trail, but his plan unravelled when he turned on the phone at Patori railway station and called his wife. Technical surveillance placed his phone near Patori on the day of the murder and in Surat about 36 hours later, leading to his arrest.

During questioning, Shiv Shankar allegedly admitted he planned the murder after watching Drishyam 3, which revolves around creating a misleading timeline. He was sent to jail, police said.