A bone-chilling murder of a man took place in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut earlier this month and the police arrested victim's wife and her lover after they confessed their crime. The daughter of the couple allegedly knew something was wrong with her father as she was heard saying 'papa drum mein hain(papa is inside a drum)" to the neighbours and the police had found the victim's body dismembered and encased in cement inside a drum.
The deceased, Saurabh Rajput (29) was a former Merchant Navy officer who worked as a baker in London, returned to his Meerut home on February 24 for his wife's birthday but just over a week later, his wife Muskan Rastogi (27) and her lover Sahil Shukla (25) allegedly killed him.
An Uttar Pradesh court has sent both the accused to 14-day judicial custody.
What Did The Daughter Say?
Saurabh Rajput's mother told the reporters that her five-year-old granddaughter was aware that something was wrong and she was heard telling neighbours that her father is inside the drum.
The victim's mother told ANI that her granddaughter said, "Papa drum mein hain (Papa is inside the drum) to neighbours.
"She (the daughter of Saurabh and Muskan) might be aware of this, as the neighbours told us that she (the daughter of Saurabh and Muskan) said that 'papa has been kept in drum'...She (the daughter) might have seen something, then only she was saying so," Rajput's mother added.
What Did Muskan Rastogi's Parents Say?
Muskan's parents, Kavita and Pramod Rastogi, expressed shock and disbelief over their daughter's involvement in the murder.
"I wish she was never born," Kavita told reporters.
According to PTI, the Rastogi family admitted that Muskan and Saurabh never had a harmonious relationship, but they placed the blame squarely on Sahil, claiming that he had introduced Muskan to drugs.
Pramod Rastogi, Muskan's father, was particularly vocal in his condemnation, demanding the death penalty for both Muskan and her lover.
"Saurabh left everything for Muskan, including his job and family. But she ended up taking his life," said Pramod, his voice filled with sorrow and anger.
"Muskan has lost the right to live. Such a person does not deserve to walk the earth."
What Did Victim's Family Claim?
The victim's mother has alleged that Muskan Rastogi's family knew about the murder and they apparently consulted a lawyer before approching the police about their daughter's murder.
Saurabh Rajput's mother told ANI, "They informed the police...As soon as the police came, by the time she (Muskan) reached her mother's house to tell them...Her mother knew everything prior...But to mislead things, she (Muskan's mother) said that she (Muskan) reached them to tell them that she had killed him (Saurabh)...Her (Muskan) mother met some lawyer and reached court. Later, the police came and took the family (of Muskan) with them... They all (the family of Muskan) will be hanged to death along with that boy (Sahil)."
Police Investigation So Far
The details of the crime began to unfold when Muskan and Sahil were arrested and presented to the media by the police on Wednesday.
Police officials claimed that from purchasing knives to obtaining sedatives and even scouting locations to dispose of the body, Muskan and Sahil meticulously planned the murder.
According to PTI, the two had rekindled their relationship in 2019 via a school WhatsApp group, and what started as a friendship quickly blossomed into an affair.
This bond grew stronger due to the absence of Saurabh, who worked abroad. According to police, drugs may have played a significant role in bringing Muskan and Sahil closer together.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Ayush Vikram Singh told PTI, "According to per family members, Sahil used to take contraband drugs, which he also shared with Muskan. We are further investigating this aspect of the case."
The affair eventually led to Muskan planning to leave Saurabh and marry Sahil instead. Police sources revealed that Muskan and Sahil saw Saurabh as an obstacle in their relationship and decided to kill him.
"Prima facie, it appears that Muskan and Sahil considered the husband a hindrance and plotted to murder him," said a police officer.
Muskan reportedly came up with the idea to kill Saurabh last November, and Sahil supported the plan. By February, when Saurabh was scheduled to return to India, the the two began preparations for executing the plan.
"Muskan purchased two knives with long blades, telling the shopkeeper she would use them to cut chicken. She also acted stressed to secure banned sedatives from a local drug store," a source said.
The duo's first attempt at the murder on February 25 failed. Saurabh, who had returned just a day earlier, ate sedative-laced food served to him but only slept deeply without falling unconscious.
But on March 4, Muskan drugged her husband's food again, rendering him unconscious. She then joined Sahil in stabbing Saurabh to death. Afterward, the pair dismembered his body in an attempt to conceal the crime. They had already sent Muskan's six-year-old daughter to her grandmother's house before the murder took place.
"The initial plan was to dispose of the body parts in a secluded location, but the duo eventually decided to keep it inside a large blue drum, filling it with cement and sand," said SP Singh.
The duo then travelled to Himachal Pradesh, attempting to cover their tracks, before returning to Meerut on March 17. The very next day, following a complaint from Saurabh's family, the police detained the pair on suspicion.
They were arrested after the blue drum containing Saurabh's dismembered body was recovered from the house.
After their court appearance, both Muskan and Sahil were remanded in 14-day judicial custody. However, their brief passage through the courthouse on Wednesday became the scene of a violent altercation. A group of lawyers surrounded the couple, attempting to strike them and grab hold of Sahil's clothes.
Amid the chaos, police officers struggled to maintain order and ensure the accused's safety.
