Meerut (UP): In a shocking twist in the Saurabh Rajput murder case, the victim's family has accused the parents of his wife, Muskan Rastogi, of being aware of the crime before it was reported to the police on March 18.
Saurabh's mother, Renu Devi, has refuted Muskan's parents' claims of ignorance regarding the murder, accusing them of attempting to mislead the police.
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"The truth is that Muskan's mother knew about the crime (before March 18). They went to the police station only to save themselves from legal action," Renu Devi alleged on Wednesday.
Renu Devi further claimed that Saurabh’s six-year-old daughter had also been aware of her father's death. "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.
According to the police, Muskan and her lover, Sahil Shukla, confessed to having stabbed Saurabh on 4 March. They allegedly stabbed him, dismembered his body, and concealed the remains in a drum sealed with cement. The pair were arrested on Tuesday.
However, SP City Ayush Vikram 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."
According to police sources, Muskan informed her parents about the murder on March 18. They then accompanied her to the police station, leading to the registration of a case. Following this, the body was recovered, and both Muskan and Sahil were arrested.
SP City Singh revealed that Muskan had been plotting Saurabh's murder since November 2023. He further explained that Sahil is highly superstitious, and Muskan took advantage of this by creating a fake Snapchat account, pretending to be Sahil's deceased mother to manipulate him.
"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," SP City Singh stated, adding that this aspect is being looked into further.
Muskan used this ruse to manipulate Sahil into believing his mother was communicating with him, said the SP.
Muskan also sought a secluded spot to dispose of the body and had purchased knives under the guise of cutting chicken before Saurabh’s return from London in February. She reportedly obtained sedatives to assist in the crime.
"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 the SP.
"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," the police officer said, revealing that Muskan believed her husband's absence would go unnoticed.
The police plan to file for remand of Muskan and Sahil, who are currently in judicial custody.
PTI
Published: 20 Mar 2025, 08:08 pm IST
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