Updated: 21th march,2025

Background

In 2016, Saurabh Rajput and Muskaan Rastogi tied the knot. Rajput left his job in the Merchant Navy to spend more time with his wife, a decision that caused friction in his family. The couple moved into a leased house as their differences increased. Later, Saurabh’s relatives said that Muskaan had married him for money and that he had complete faith in her.

The couple had a daughter in 2019, but their marriage did not last long. Saurabh learned that Muskaan and his friend Sahil Shukla were having an affair outside their marriage. Their relationship was severely strained as a result of the disclosure, and divorce was discussed. But in the end, Saurabh decided to stay married for his daughter’s sake.

He relocated to London in 2023 to work at a bakery due to financial troubles, while Muskaan received monthly financial support from her family. Their relationship was further affected by his alcoholism. He went back to India in February 2025 to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, but the couple’s problems reappeared. Muskaan and Sahil attempted to kill him for the first time on February 25 but were unsuccessful.

According to the research, Sahil Shukla and Muskaan Rastogi were childhood friends who had attended the same school from first to eighth grade. Three years after Muskaan’s marriage to Saurabh Rajput, they reconnected in 2019 via a WhatsApp group set up by a classmate. Their affair started after the gang arranged a get-together at a mall in Meerut, where they revived their relationship and met in person for the first time since school. Police investigations reveal that Muskaan and Sahil planned to kill Rajput because they saw him as a barrier to their relationship.

Incident

On March 4, 2025, Saurabh Rajput returned home after serving overseas to honor his wife Muskaan Rastogi‘s birthday. He had no idea that Muskaan and her lover, Sahil Shukla, had been plotting his assassination.

It is said that Sahil and Muskaan drugged Saurabh that evening by adding sedatives to his dinner. After he lost consciousness, Sahil allegedly stabbed him to death with Muskaan’s assistance. After that, they divided his body into roughly fifteen pieces using sharp tools. To conceal the crime, they placed the body parts inside a large plastic drum, filled it with cement, and sealed it.

The drum was kept at a rental flat in the Indira Nagar neighborhood of Meerut. To avoid suspicion, the pair tried to keep their daily routines as normal as possible. However, a police probe was prompted after Saurabh’s family reported him missing after growing worried about his abrupt disappearance.

Officers noticed a bad odor coming from the rental apartment throughout the inquiry. They found the cement-filled drum containing Saurabh’s mutilated remains after searching the property. Police suspected Muskaan’s participation because of inconsistencies in her claims. Both Muskaan and Sahil admitted to the crime after being questioned, which resulted in their arrest.

What Led To The Arrest?

• Murder remained undiscovered for nearly 2 weeks
• The couple left for Shimla, returned 12 days later
• Muskaan misled Saurabh’s family by messaging them from his phone
• Muskaan broke down and confessed to her mother, who dragged her daughter to police
• Both Muskaan and Sahil have been arrested and charged with murder and destruction of evidence

Procuring Drugs and Weapons

Police investigations found that Muskaan Rastogi 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.

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.

Why Did Meerut Police Order Towels for Accused Muskaan and Sahil?

In a chilling case that shocked Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut city, Muskaan, accused of the brutal murder of her husband, Saurabh Rajput, was presented in court along with her boyfriend, Sahil Shukla, on Wednesday, March 19. Muskaan and Sahil allegedly dismembered Saurabh’s body into 15 pieces and concealed it in a drum filled with cement.

As the couple reached the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court on Wednesday, they faced a furious crowd of lawyers outside the premises. While the police escorted Muskaan and Sahil into court, tensions erupted. The group of enraged lawyers attacked the couple, tearing Sahil’s clothes and thrashing them both before police intervened. In an effort to shield the accused from further humiliation, the police swiftly covered them with towels before leading them into the courtroom.

Planned Murder and Cover-Up

Meerut SSP Vipin Tada detailed their attempt to hide the crime:
“After killing Saurabh, they wanted to dispose of the remains but failed. So, they left his body in the bathroom overnight along with the severed head. The next morning, Sahil bought 50kg of cement and a 220-litre drum. They chopped off his hands, packed the dismembered body inside, and sealed it with cement. To cover up their crime, Muskaan used Saurabh’s phone to send deceptive messages to his family from Shimla for several days.”

Legal Provisions Involved

Depending on the facts, the following legal provisions are likely to be implicated in the Meerut murder case: murder (Section 103 BNS), dismemberment and disposal of the body, and possibly an attempt at murder (Section 109 BNS). Additionally, criminal conspiracy may be involved (Section 61(2) of BNS).

Murder: Section 103 BNS

Corresponding Law: Section 302 IPC
The core charge will likely be murder, as the victim, Saurabh Rajput, was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife, Muskaan Rastogi, and her lover, Sahil Shukla.

Dismemberment and Disposal of Body

The act of dismembering the body and attempting to conceal it in a cement-filled drum will likely lead to charges related to the disposal of a body, though specific sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) may be invoked depending on the investigation findings.

Attempt to Murder: Section 109 BNS

Corresponding Law: Section 307 IPC
If the police investigation reveals that Muskaan drugged Saurabh, rendering him unconscious, this could be considered an attempt to murder, even if the act was not completed.

Criminal Conspiracy: Section 61(2) BNS

Corresponding Law: Section 120B IPC
If it is established that Muskaan and Sahil planned the murder, they could be charged with criminal conspiracy, which involves agreeing to commit an illegal act.

Other Relevant Sections

Depending on the specific circumstances, other relevant sections of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 might be invoked, such as those related to hiding evidence, obstructing justice, or abetment.

Legal Action and Public Reaction

Repercussions

On March 19, 2025, Muskaan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla were presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. Outside the courthouse, a group of lawyers physically assaulted them, tearing Sahil Shukla’s clothes. Police intervened to restore order and ensure their safety.

Muskaan and Sahil have been charged with murder and destruction of evidence. Saurabh’s brother, Bablu Rajput, stated,
“Muskaan took some of my brother’s money. He had brought Rs 1 crore from London, which he distributed among close people. We’re not on talking terms. He never stayed with us.”

When the accused were taken to court on Wednesday, a mob attacked them in police custody.
“We will take action against the perpetrators,” SSP said. Kavita, siding with the mob, stated,
“She deserves the death penalty. She should be killed the way he was.”