The Meerut murder case is a horrifying tale of betrayal, meticulous planning, and gruesome execution that has shocked India. It centers on Saurabh Rajput, a 29-year-old former Merchant Navy officer, who was brutally murdered by his wife, Muskan Rastogi (27), and her lover, Sahil Shukla (25), in early March 2025. What makes this case particularly chilling is the cold-blooded nature of the crime, the disposal of the body, and the nonchalant behavior of the perpetrators afterward.
Background: A Marriage Marred by Infidelity
Saurabh Rajput and Muskan Rastogi had a love marriage in 2016 and lived in a rented house in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, with their six-year-old daughter. Saurabh worked abroad, reportedly in London, though some sources clarify he worked at a bakery rather than in the Merchant Navy as he claimed to his family. He returned to Meerut on February 24, 2025, to celebrate the birthdays of his wife and daughter. Unbeknownst to him, Muskan had rekindled a relationship with Sahil Shukla, an old acquaintance from a school WhatsApp group, in 2019. This affair escalated into a deadly conspiracy.
Muskan and Sahil decided Saurabh was an obstacle to their future together. Planning began as early as November 2024, with the couple determined to eliminate him. Their first attempt in February failed, but they succeeded on their second try, executing a plan that would horrify the nation.
The Murder: A Calculated and Brutal Act
On March 4, 2025, Muskan and Sahil put their plan into action. They sent their daughter to her grandmother’s house to ensure she wouldn’t witness the crime. That night, Muskan prepared a meal for Saurabh, lacing it with sedatives she had obtained from a local drugstore by feigning stress. Unlike their failed attempt on February 25, when Saurabh merely slept deeply, this time the dose rendered him unconscious.
With Saurabh incapacitated, Muskan and Sahil attacked. Muskan climbed onto her husband and plunged a long-bladed butcher’s knife—purchased under the pretense of cutting chicken—into his chest multiple times. Sahil assisted, and together they slit Saurabh’s throat and severed his hands. The post-mortem report later revealed even more gruesome details: Saurabh’s heart was stabbed three times, his head was decapitated, and his body was chopped into approximately 15 pieces. Doctors who conducted the autopsy were reportedly shaken, with one noting he had never seen such a case in 30 years.
Disposal of the Body: A Cement-Filled Drum
After the murder, Muskan and Sahil spent the night with the corpse in the house—a chilling detail that underscores their detachment. The next day, they dismembered the body further to fit it into a large blue drum. They filled the drum with cement and sand, intending to melt the skin and obscure identification. Initial plans to dispose of the body parts in a secluded location were abandoned, and they left the drum in their home.
To cover their tracks, Muskan sent text messages from Saurabh’s phone, posing as him to mislead his family. Meanwhile, the couple went on a vacation to Himachal Pradesh, behaving as if nothing had happened.
The Unraveling: A Child’s Revelation and Arrest
The crime came to light over two weeks later, around mid-March 2025, when Muskan sought financial help from her parents, raising suspicions. Some reports suggest a dramatic twist: Saurabh’s mother claimed her six-year-old granddaughter said, “Papa is in the drum,” leading to the discovery. However, police have dismissed this, stating the child only learned of the murder after the case broke.
Authorities arrested Muskan and Sahil, who confessed to the crime. The drum was recovered, and the horrifying remains were sent for autopsy. The investigation revealed additional disturbing elements: eerie sketches of dragons and strange symbols in Sahil’s room, hinting at possible black magic practices, and Muskan’s alleged Bollywood aspirations, though these remain speculative.
Aftermath: Shock and Outrage
The Meerut murder case has left the community and the nation in disbelief. Muskan’s stepmother reportedly demanded the death penalty for her stepdaughter. The police seized the murder weapons—a knife and a razor—and continued to investigate, including tracing the couple’s movements in Himachal Pradesh and verifying Saurabh’s claims about his overseas work.
The brutality of the act, combined with the couple’s casual demeanor post-murder, has fueled widespread outrage. It’s a stark reminder of how betrayal can lurk behind a façade of normalcy, making it one of the most spine-chilling crimes in recent memory.
