Merchant navy officer killed by wife, her lover; body chopped, hidden in cement-filled drum

MEERUT A merchant navy officer was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife and her lover when he returned to Meerut for a vacation from his posting in London on March 4. The accused cut the body into 15 pieces and stored them in a drum, sealing it with cement. The next day, the woman left her six-year-old daughter at her parents’ home and went to Shimla with her paramour. On her return, she confessed to her parents about the murder, said police.

Remains of the body had been recovered and the two accused – Sahil Shukla, 27, a chartered accountant, and Muskan Rastogi, 27 – were arrested. The duo allegedly mixed sedative in the victim’s food to kill him without resistance.

Saurabh Rajput, 29, a resident of Brahmpuri’s Indra Nagar Phase 2 in Meerut, had been missing since March 4 and cops launched an investigation after receiving information about the matter. Earlier, Rajput worked as a sales manager at a mall in London and later joined a US-based shipping company in UK as a merchant navy officer, said officials.

SSP (Meerut) Vipin Tada, said: “The woman, along with her lover, murdered her husband. They placed the body in a drum and sealed it with cement and dust. Both the accused have been arrested and are being interrogated.”

When Muskan returned to her parental home alone from Shimla, her mother inquired about her husband. She initially tried to mislead her with vague answers. But when questioned repeatedly, Muskan admitted that Rajput had been killed. Shocked by this revelation, her mother and other family members took her to the Brahmpuri police station on Tuesday afternoon and narrated the incident to the police.

Muskan and Sahil tried to withdraw ₹6 lakh from Rajput’s bank account but failed. Following this, Muskan went to her mother, Kavita, and asked for money. During this conversation, she revealed to her family that she had murdered Saurabh Rajput, said police.

On February 25, it was Muskan’s birthday, and on February 28, it was her daughter, Pihu’s, birthday. Rajput had returned to Meerut from London on February 24. He celebrated the birthdays, and on March 2, he visited his mother’s house in Brahmpuri. Meanwhile, conflicts had been escalating between the husband and wife over Muskan’s alleged affair with Sahil.

Muskan told cops that Rajput’s body was in a drum and that she would never return to that house. Initially, the police did not believe her. Two officers were sent to the house, where they found the drum but did not see the body. They returned and reported to the inspector that the woman was lying, as the drum was filled with dried cement. However, when Muskan was brought to the site, she revealed that the body parts were beneath the cement.

As the body was not visible, the police decided to interrogate Sahil. When both were confronted, they confessed that the body parts were in the cement-filled drum. The police discreetly transported the drum in an e-rickshaw to the post-mortem house, where the body parts were extracted.

According to SP (city) Ayush Vikram Singh, Muskan had already informed her family about the murder. On Tuesday morning, she confessed to the crime at the police station. However, her brother-in-law Rahul also filed a missing complaint at Brahmpuri police station, stating that Saurabh Rajput had been missing since March 7. He visited Saurabh’s rented house and found it locked. Suspecting foul play, he called Muskan, who claimed to be at her parental home and denied any knowledge of Saurabh’s whereabouts.

Growing suspicious, Rahul started asking neighbours about Saurabh. Meanwhile, Muskan and Sahil unexpectedly arrived at the location. When Rahul questioned Muskan, she failed to give a proper answer.

It took over an hour for workers and police officers to break open the cement-filled drum, even while using hammers and drilling machines. When the drum could not be opened manually, the police sent it to the post-mortem house.

Muskan had a penchant for high life, which created a rift in the family. Married in 2016, Saurabh secured a job in a London mall in 2020, leaving his wife and daughter in a rented house in Brahmpuri’s Master Colony. During his absence, Muskan allegedly developed an illicit relationship with their neighbour, Sahil Shukla.

Saurabh eventually learned about his wife’s affair, leading to disputes between the couple. On March 4, Muskan laced Saurabh’s food with sedatives, making him unconscious. She then called Sahil over, and together, they allegedly stabbed Saurabh multiple times in the chest, killing him.

Woman, paramour thrashed

A group of lawyers on Wednesday thrashed Muskan and her paramour outside the Chief Judicial Magistrate court. Sahil’s clothes were torn. The police barely managed to rescue them and took them to the courtroom, where they were presented before the judge.

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