Meerut, March 19 (IANS) Meerut police have made shocking revelations in the murder case of ex-Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput, whose body was found in a cement-sealed drum. His wife, Muskaan Rastogi, and her lover, Sahil Shukla, allegedly planned the murder since November 2024.
According to the police, Saurabh was drugged, murdered, and chopped into 15 pieces on March 4. His remains were stored in a drum and sealed with cement to be disposed of later.
On the night of March 4, Muskaan mixed sleeping pills into Saurabh’s food. Once he was unconscious, she and Sahil stabbed him and chopped his body into 15 pieces.
SP City Ayush Vikram Singh confirmed that Muskaan and Sahil had confessed to the crime, detailing their gruesome plan. They have been charged with murder, conspiracy, and evidence tampering.
SP Singh informed that Muskan agreed to stab Saurabh while Sahil held his hands. After this, Sahil instructed Muskan to bring the drum, sand and cement bags. The accused said that they had brought a knife in pretence to cut the chicken. They then chopped the body, put it into the drum, and later filled it with cement.
The accused then left for a vacation in Shimla and Kasol to create an alibi while maintaining contact with Saurabh’s family through messages.
Upon returning, they planned to claim that Saurabh had gone abroad. However, they ran out of money, and when the family members questioned Saurabh’s whereabouts, a police complaint was filed.
Upon question, the police said that Muskan and Sahil eventually confessed, leading to their arrest.
Saurabh and Muskaan had a love marriage in 2016 and had a daughter in 2019. However, Saurabh’s decision to leave his Merchant Navy job to spend more time with his family did not sit well with his relatives, leading to friction.
In 2023, he moved to London to work at a bakery, but financial struggles persisted. Muskaan’s family regularly provided her with money. Saurabh also had a drinking problem, which further strained their relationship.
When Saurabh returned to India on February 24 to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, the couple’s tensions resurfaced. On February 25, Muskaan and Sahil had already attempted to kill him but failed.
Police found the drum containing Saurabh’s remains but had to use a drill machine to break through the cement.
–IANS
sd/