Meerut: Shocking new details have emerged in the brutal murder of Saurabh Rajput, a former merchant navy officer, allegedly killed by his wife Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut.

According to SP (City) Ayush Vikram Singh, Muskan (27) had been plotting the murder since November 2024. On March 3, when 29-year-old Saurabh returned home to meet his wife and daughter, he brought along ‘lauki ke kofte’ (bottle gourd dish) prepared by his mother, Renu. Muskan seized the opportunity and laced the food with sedatives before serving it to Saurabh. Once he lost consciousness, she invited her lover Sahil (27) to their rented home in Indira Nagar.

The duo then launched a brutal knife attack on the unconscious Saurabh, repeatedly stabbing him until he succumbed to his injuries, police revealed.

Procuring drugs and weapons

Police investigations found that Muskan had been discreetly searching for ways to acquire sleeping pills and narcotics. On February 22, she visited a doctor on Sharda Road, claiming to suffer from depression, but the doctor did not prescribe a large enough quantity of pills to execute her plan. She then turned to Google to search for drug names and, with Sahil’s help, bought a deadly mix of sedatives from a pharmacy in Kharia Nagar.

Additionally, the couple purchased two meat-cutting knives worth Rs 800, a Rs 300 razor, and polythene bags to facilitate the murder and disposal of the body, police said.

Victim’s mother alleges cover-up by Muskan’s family

Saurabh’s mother, Renu Devi, alleged that Muskan’s parents were aware of the crime but chose to remain silent. According to her, they only informed the police because they feared legal consequences. She also claimed that Saurabh’s six-year-old daughter knew about the murder.

“That is why, as we have come to know from some people, she (Saurabh’s daughter) was saying, ‘Papa is in the drum,’” Renu Devi said.

However, SP City Singh dismissed this claim, stating, “When Muskan was telling the story of the incident to the family members, the girl might have been present there. The girl did not know anything (beforehand) about this.”

Manipulation through superstition

Police investigations revealed that Sahil was highly superstitious, and Muskan exploited this by creating a fake Snapchat ID, impersonating Sahil’s deceased mother.

“Muskan created a fake Snapchat ID in the name of her brother and then told her lover Sahil that his dead mother had appeared and was connecting via her brother’s ID. Muskan also told Sahil that his dead mother wanted Saurabh to be killed,” said SP City Singh. He added that this aspect of the case is still under investigation.

Efforts to cover up the crime

Muskan had attempted to find a secluded location to bury Saurabh’s body after the murder. Before Saurabh’s return from London in February, she had also purchased knives under the pretext of cutting chicken and acquired sedatives in preparation for the crime.

Police stated that Muskan believed Saurabh’s murder would not be noticed immediately because he had not been in regular contact with his family.

“Muskan knew that after Saurabh’s murder, his family would not try to find him. Because Saurabh was not in regular touch with his family members for the last couple of years,” said SP City Singh.

He further revealed, “The family members of Saurabh, who were angry after his marriage with Muskan, had not spoken to him in the last two years when he was abroad.” Muskan believed this estrangement would prevent immediate suspicion of his disappearance.

(Agency inputs)