In a chilling incident that took place in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, authorities arrested Muskan Rastogi and her boyfriend, Sahil Shukla. Evidently, they have been accused of the grisly murder of her husband, Saurabh Rajput, a Merchant Navy officer.
The murder was methodically planned out and included deception on social media, obtaining weapons, and administering drugs.
Background of the Accused
Muskan and Saurabh married in 2016 after establishing a courtship and having a daughter, age 6. Following this, In 2019, Muskan reconnected with Sahil, whom she had known in high school, through a WhatsApp group.
Certainly, this rekindled relationship evolved into an extramarital affair and, ultimately, a conspiracy to murder Saurabh.
The Plot
The murder plot was initially broached in November 2024, and Muskan purchased two knives for 800 rupees, informing the shopkeeper she was buying them to cut meat. She also obtained some medication for her husband. She would administer to him as a subterfuge to act on killing him in the middle of the night.
Treating her husband as a dangerous animal, Muskan parked the car. She went out to scout locations to dispose of Saurabh’s body. Subsequently, she misled and explained to her friends that she had someone kill him to burn ceremonial materials.
Manipulation through social media
Muskan also manipulated Sahil by creating a fake Snapchat account and pretending to be Sahil’s dead mother, speaking to him from beyond the grave.
This deception led Sahil to believe that afterlife communication from his mother to his next wife was approval. It also encouraged him to proceed with executing the plan.
Carrying Out the Offense
Saurabh came back to Meerut on February 24, 2025, so that they could commemorate their daughter’s birthday. On March 4, Muskan used the anxiety pills to drug Saurabh. After he was knocked out, she and Sahil purportedly stabbed Saurabh to death.
They dismembered his body and put the parts inside a drum filled with concrete in an attempt to hide the body.
The Investigation and Arrest
The suspicious nature of Saurabh’s disappearance led his family to report him missing. As part of the missing person’s investigation, inconsistencies in Muskan’s statements. This includes using fake Snapchat messages and the evidence of digital information. This made her seem complicit in the disappearance of Saurabh.
Muskan and Sahil were arrested, and the two ultimately confessed to committing the crime during police interrogation.
Family’s Claims
Muskan’s parents claimed that she and Sahil were regular drug users. They were afraid that Saurabh would intervene and stop them from using drugs. Allegedly, that led them to decide to kill Saurabh based on their fear and desire to continue their drug usage.
The two have been charged with murder and conspiracy and have remained in police custody awaiting trial. The case involved significant social media manipulation (such as pretending to be in contact with Saurabh for several days). In addition to the gruesome nature of the murder. The case has already gotten some notoriety in the larger media landscape.
