The murder of merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput has sent shivers down the spine. A man in service of the country returns home to surprise his wife on her birthday but ends up getting brutally murdered by his very own beloved.
What was supposed to be a celebratory day turned into a nightmarish tragedy very quickly. Instead of a welcome, Saurabh became trapped in a cruel conspiracy. By the time anyone noticed he was gone, his life had been extinguished, and his body dismembered and hidden in a drum filled with cement. It wasn’t until almost two weeks later, on March 18, that officials discovered the horrific details of his killing.
Saurabh’s wife, Muskaan, had been planning his murder since November with the help of her boyfriend, Sahil Shukla. As per SP (City) Ayush Vikram Singh, Muskaan manipulated Sahil by sending him doctored Snapchat messages, convincing him that these were omens from his dead mother. Days prior to Saurabh’s return, Muskaan bought two knives saying they were to cut chicken and pretended to be anxious to obtain sedatives. She then spiked her husband with the sedatives, leaving him unconscious before she attacked him.
How was Saurabh murdered?
On 3 March, Muskaan made Saurabh’s favorite dish, lauki ke kofte, but gave it a dangerous twist. She laced the food with sedatives, and after he collapsed unconscious, she invited Sahil to their Indira Nagar rented house. Together, they brutally stabbed Saurabh repeatedly until he died. Then, Sahil took the body to the bathroom, beheaded him using a razor, and severed his hands at the wrists.
The couple, after committing the murder, concocted a scheme to cover up the crime. Muskaan and Sahil put the chopped-up body into a bag and stored it in the bed’s storage compartment, where Muskaan spent the night. Sahil kept the head and hands at his place for 24 hours. By March 5, the couple dropped their original plan to dispose of the body in different locations. They purchased a big blue drum from Ghantaghar, filled it with cement, and closed Saurabh’s torso inside.
The police probe also found that Saurabh’s corpse was crushed using a mixer, with some fragments discovered during the autopsy. The body had been buried in a concrete tomb within the drum, a method the police believe was copied from crime films.
How Did Muskan Avoid Suspicion?
To conceal their act, Muskaan and Sahil went for a holiday, informing their relatives and neighbors that they had departed together, despite Saurabh having already been murdered. Muskaan continued posting pictures and videos on his social media sites as if all was well. The duo went to Shimla and Manali, where they hired a Swift Dzire for a 15-day excursion. They stayed at a hotel in Kasol for six days, where they did not interact with any of the staff or other travelers.
Cab Driver Share Insights
On their journey, the cab driver of the couple, Ajab Singh, noticed that they were acting strangely. Muskaan and Sahil hardly spoke to one another during the entire ride. Ajab remembered that Muskaan took just two calls from her mother throughout the journey. He also stated that Muskaan booked a birthday cake for Sahil via a WhatsApp audio message, asking him not to call but just message after the arrival of the cake.
Though having just committed a ghastly crime, Muskaan and Sahil seemed to be in a carefree mood on their journey. A video was shared in which they were celebrating Holi, laughing and dancing to the music. In a second video, Muskaan had fed Sahil a birthday cake in Kasol and had kissed him.
How the Murderers Were Caught
Muskaan and Sahil came back to Meerut on March 17, but their horrific crime remained a secret. On March 18, the issue became known when a laborer, who was working to vacate the house, found a strong stench coming from a big blue drum. When asked about it, Muskaan said it contained trash and left there for her parents’ residence. Suspecting something fishy, the laborer reported the matter to the police, who quickly arrived to reveal the horror behind.
Muskaan confessed to her mother, who reported her to the police. Asked whether the victim’s daughter knew about her father’s death, his mother Renu Devi said the six-year-old girl had been telling neighbours, “Papa is in the drum.” “She must have seen something.”
Muskaan’s parents abandoned her upon hearing of the murder. “That boy (Saurabh Rajput) was a good boy. We seek justice and want her to be hanged till death,” Muskaan’s mother said to ANI. Her father was of the same opinion, referring to her as a threat to society. “My daughter murdered her husband. She is not fit for society and a threat to all,” he further added.
Involvement in Occult Practices?
Saurabh’s family believes occult practices were behind the murder. Both Muskaan and Sahil were indulging in tantric rituals, which could have affected Muskaan’s mind, according to Saurabh’s mother Renu Devi. “Sahil’s occult practices had taken over Muskan’s mind to such an extent that she began keeping her six-year-old daughter away. Sahil had turned Muskaan into an addict and utterly superstitious,” Renu alleged.
Muskaan’s police interrogation revealed that Sahil had persuaded her that she must kill Saurabh so that they could start a new life together. “Sahil made Muskan kill her husband. He first made her sit on Saurabh’s chest. Then he took a knife from the kitchen, taught her how to use it, and asked her to put the knife in Saurabh’s heart three times,” a police source disclosed.
An Illicit Affair and Failed Attempt
Muskaan and Saurabh were married in 2016, but their union started to weaken when Saurabh found his wife’s affair with Sahil in 2021. “Muskaan informed that she was in an illegal relationship with Sahil from 2019. Saurabh knew that and had asked for divorce in 2021. But his family members had persuaded him to remain with his wife,” SP Ayush Vikram Singh told. Muskaan’s accusations of Sahil’s alcoholism and financial woes were the sparks that fueled the tension between her and Saurabh.
The attempt on February 25, just a day after Saurabh returned, had been unsuccessful, but the couple was successful in their murderous plot on March 3.
Police are still investigating the case, with two teams established to investigate the case. The police have already identified the store where the drum and other material were purchased and interrogated the shopkeeper. The police will also go to Shimla to collect more evidence. Regarding Muskaan and Sahil, they are accused of their ghastly act, and the police are working on a chargesheet to award the maximum penalty through the court.
