Meerut: New revelations have emerged in the Saurabh Rajput murder case, with the deceased’s family alleging that the parents of the accused wife, Muskan Rastogi, were aware of Saurabh’s murder well before March 18, when the police were officially informed about the crime.
Saurabh’s mother, Renu Devi, has refuted Muskan’s parents’ claims of ignorance regarding the murder, accusing them of attempting to mislead the police.
“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 Wednesday.
According to police, Muskan and her lover Sahil Shukla confessed to having stabbed Saurabh to death March 4. The two then chopped up his body, put the remains inside a drum and sealed it with cement.
The two were arrested Tuesday.
Renu Devi also claimed that Saurabh’s six-year-old daughter, too, knew about 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.
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 went to her family March 18 and informed her parents about the murder. The parents then took her to the police. Following this, a case was registered, the body was recovered, and Muskan and Sahil were arrested.
SP City Singh confirmed that Muskan had been planning Saurabh’s murder since November 2023. He also said that Sahil is superstitious and that Muskan exploited this by creating a fake Snapchat ID, impersonating Sahil’s deceased mother.
“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 attempted to find a secluded location to bury Saurabh’s body after the murder. Before Saurabh’s return from London in February, she also purchased knives under the pretext of cutting chicken and acquired sedatives.
“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
