Punjab shocker: Woman killed and stuffed in a blue drum

The SHO said that two tattoos were discovered on the body, which helped them identify her.

A shocking incident took place in Patiala, Punjab, on Wednesday, where police found the body of a woman stuffed in a blue drum. The woman’s identity was established after they discovered two tattoos on her body. Police officials said that the body was discovered after locals alerted authorities about a suspicious drum lying in the area.

Tattoos became a key clue in identifying the woman.

According to Station House Officer Gurpreet Singh, the body was in a condition that made identification difficult initially. However, investigators noticed two tattoos on the victim’s body, which eventually became the breakthrough clue in the case. Singh, while speaking to reporters, said, “The forensic team was called to the spot immediately, and the body was later shifted to the mortuary for further examination and identification.” Based on the tattoos and further verification, the victim was identified as Neha, a woman believed to be in her early twenties. Police later contacted her family, who confirmed that she had been missing for several days. A missing person complaint had reportedly already been filed before the body was discovered.

The victim and her family are originally from Uttar Pradesh.

Investigators revealed that Neha’s family originally came from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, but had been living in Patiala for some time. Police are now questioning people close to the victim and examining her recent movements to piece together what may have happened before her death. Officials have not yet disclosed whether any suspects have been detained, but the case is being treated with high priority due to the gruesome nature of the crime. The Patiala blue drum incident is the latest in a string of disturbing cases across India where bodies have been hidden inside blue drums after murders. Earlier this month in Maharashtra’s Thane district, a woman was accused of killing her lover with the help of her brother before disposing of the body inside a drum thrown into a drain.

In another shocking case from Lucknow, a college student allegedly murdered his father following an argument over career choices. Police claimed the accused dismembered the body and concealed the remains in a blue drum inside their home. The phrase “blue drum murder” first gained widespread attention after the infamous Meerut case in 2025, where a merchant navy officer was allegedly killed by his wife and her partner. His body was reportedly cut into pieces, sealed inside a blue drum with cement, and hidden for days.