New and disturbing details have surfaced in the gruesome murder case of Saurabh Rajput, allegedly killed by his wife Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla. Jail officials revealed that Muskan spent a restless night in Meerut’s Chaudhary Charan Singh District Jail, showing signs of severe distress after being placed in judicial custody.

Muskan and Sahil had previously confessed to murdering and dismembering Saurabh before encasing his remains in a cement-filled drum. On Wednesday, they were presented in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. According to jail superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma, Muskan was placed in the women’s barrack while Sahil was assigned to a separate men’s barrack. Muskan reportedly refused to eat and remained silent throughout her first night in jail.

Viresh Raj Sharma, senior jail superintendent, said, “Muskan and her lover, Sahil Shukla, were brought to the jail around 6 pm on Wednesday. Muskan was placed in the women’s barrack (barrack number 12), while Sahil was assigned to the men’s barrack (barrack number 18).”

“Muskan remained silent and did not interact with anyone. She also did not eat the provided food,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Saurabh’s body, retrieved from the cement-filled drum, was sent for post-mortem and later cremated on Wednesday evening.

Investigations revealed that Muskan and Sahil had known each other since childhood, having studied together from Class 1 to 8. Their relationship reignited in 2019 after reconnecting through a WhatsApp group of former classmates, three years after Muskan’s marriage to Saurabh.

Multiple attempts to murder

Police claim the duo viewed Saurabh as an obstacle to their relationship and meticulously plotted his murder. “Prima facie, it appears that Muskan and Sahil considered the husband a hindrance and plotted to murder him,” said a police officer. Their initial attempt on February 25, which involved sedating Saurabh through spiked food, failed as he only fell into deep sleep instead of losing consciousness.

On March 4, they executed their deadly plan. Muskan reportedly drugged Saurabh again, rendering him unconscious. “On March 4, Muskan allegedly drugged Saurabh’s food, leaving him unconscious. Sahil then joined her, and they stabbed Saurabh to death. They then dismembered his body in the bathroom, using a razor and knife,” the SP said. 

They had already sent Muskan’s six-year-old daughter to her grandmother’s house before the murder took place. To dispose of the remains, they purchased a plastic drum, cement, and sand, encasing the body parts before leaving for a trip to Himachal Pradesh.

“Muskan had purchased medicine to drug her husband and the weapons to kill him. The dismemberment was done to attempt to stuff the body into a bag, but when that failed, it was kept in the drum,” the police official was quoted by PTI as saying.

Holi celebrations in Himachal 11 days after murdering husband

Even as Saurabh’s body lay hidden in their home, Muskan and Sahil traveled to Shimla and Manali, seemingly celebrating their crime. A video that emerged this week shows Muskan laughing and playing Holi with Sahil in Manali. In another clip, she is seen feeding Sahil cake and kissing him, reportedly on his birthday.

Financial Express online could not independently verify these videos.

Upon their return to Meerut on March 17, police arrested the duo the next day following a complaint from Saurabh’s family.

Who was Saurabh Rajput?

Saurabh Rajput, 29, worked in a bakery in London and returned home periodically. While some reports describe him as a former Merchant Navy officer, the family insists he had built a life abroad before his tragic demise. Muskan and Saurabh had married in 2016 and shared a six-year-old daughter, who was sent to her grandmother’s home before the murder.

Occult practices and ‘satanic’ symbols at the crime scene

Saurabh’s grieving family has alleged that occult practices played a significant role in his murder. His mother, Renu Devi, claimed that Muskan and Sahil were deeply involved in tantric rituals, which influenced their crime. She said, “Both Muskaan and Sahil were into occult practices. They killed my son by performing tantric rituals.”

“Sahil’s occult practices dominated Muskaan’s mind in such a way that she started keeping her six-year-old daughter away. Sahil had made Muskaan an addict and completely superstitious,” the deceased’s mother said.

Neighbors corroborated these claims, stating that Sahil frequently wore yellow and black kurtas with ‘Mahakal’ inscriptions and had numerous religious and mystical tattoos. His room was allegedly covered in disturbing imagery, including sketches of ominous figures and satanic symbols.

“One of the most unsettling findings in Sahil’s room was graffiti featuring dark, supernatural imagery. The walls were adorned with eerie sketches, and he was known to stay indoors with lights off for extended periods,” said a neighbor.

Police are yet to officially comment on the claims of occult involvement but are investigating all possible angles in this shocking case.