The main conclusions of the investigation into the suspected murder of a former Merchant Navy officer by his wife and her lover have been released by the police in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Chopped into fifteen pieces, Saurabh Rajput’s body was discovered inside a cement-sealed drum. More than a week after returning from a trip overseas to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, he was murdered on March 4. Later, he arrested his wife Muskaan Rastogi and her friend Sahil Shukla, with whom she had an affair.
Following the gruesome murder that prompted rumours about black magic, Muskaan’s alcoholism, and her purported desire to succeed in Bollywood, a prominent police officer in charge of the investigation has responded to ten questions.
The police are still looking into the motive, according to Ayush Vikram Singh, the Meerut City superintendent of police, who also revealed the evidence that has been gathered thus far. Muskaan and Sahil had admitted to killing Saurabh, the officer stated. They escaped to Himachal Pradesh after cementing the victim’s body into a drum. They were arrested when they returned two days later. When questioned, they confessed to their crime. Additionally, the murder weapon has been found.
Muskaan and Saurabh had a love marriage in 2016, but their joy was short-lived. According to Mr. Singh, Saurabh discovered Muskaan’s affair in 2021. After observing Muskaan and Sahil in a “objectionable” circumstance, their landlord had alerted him. “During her interrogation, Muskaan said that she was in an illicit relationship with Sahil since 2019. Saurabh was aware of this and had filed for divorce in 2021. But his family had convinced him to stay with his wife,” said the SP.
According to Muskaan, Sahil was a drinker, which frequently caused them to argue. She told the authorities that Sahil was also struggling financially and that her family used to pay for his bills, including rent. Sahil was previously accused by her relatives of helping her develop a heroin addiction. Muskaan said she used to drink before she met Sahil, but the police have proved that they drank alcohol as frequently as they did when they first met. “Since 2023, Saurabh worked at a bakery in London. He came back to India on February 24. The accused tried to kill him on February 25 but could not succeed. They finally executed their plan on March 3,” said Mr Singh.
Two teams have been established to look into the murder, according to Mr. Singh. The store where the drum and other items purportedly used in the murder were purchased has been identified by the authorities, and the store owner has been questioned. In order to gather more evidence, the officer stated that a police team would shortly depart for Shimla. “We are collecting information about the places where they went outside Shimla, their phones have been sent for forensic test…so that we can file a chargesheet as soon as possible and give them the harshest punishment through the court,” said Mr Singh.
The officer claimed that no proof of a black magic aspect had been discovered, despite the fact that the cut portions of the victim’s body had sparked suspicions. He claimed that the black magic element might be deception and that the murder was a well-planned crime. “This was a murder carried out after a well-thought-out conspiracy. To dispose of the body, they could have planned to get rid of the drum as well. They will be questioned what they were going to do with the drum,” said Mr Singh.
According to Muskaan, Saurabh had Rs 6 lakh in his account. He moved Rs 1 lakh to her account and roughly Rs 1.5 lakh to his mother’s account out of concern that the funds may be taken. Her accusations are being checked, the officer said. They are also looking into Saurabh’s activities while in London and when he visited. It has not yet been confirmed that Saurabh worked in the Merchant Navy or that he did not pursue further studies.
If such evidence is discovered, it would be added to the accusations against the accused, the officer stated in response to Saurabh’s family’s claims that his in-laws used his money to purchase a house and other pricey devices. After Muskaan and Sahil arrived from Shimla, the murder was discovered. To get them out of the house, their landlord had sent labourers. Muskaan had said that the hefty drum was filled with rubbish when questioned about it before heading to her parents’ residence. However, they noticed a bad odour, thought something was wrong, and called the police.
Muskaan confessed to her mother, who reported her to the police. When the victim’s mother Renu Devi was asked if her daughter was aware of her father’s passing, she replied that the six-year-old child had been telling neighbours, “Papa is in the drum.” “She must have seen something.”
