A district court in Meerut on Wednesday convicted a woman and her lover for the murder of her husband, concluding a trial that drew widespread public attention after the victim’s dismembered remains were found sealed inside a cement-filled container. The court held Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla guilty of conspiring to kill Saurabh Rajput, carrying out the fatal attack, and taking elaborate steps to destroy evidence. The judgment came after 126 hearings and the examination of statements from 22 witnesses who testified over the course of the proceedings.
Gruesome Crime and Attempted Concealment
According to the prosecution, the killing took place in March 2025. Muskan allegedly administered drugs to her husband before she and Sahil attacked him with a knife, inflicting fatal injuries. Following the murder, the two dismembered the victim’s body and packed the remains inside a blue plastic drum. To suppress decomposition and conceal the crime, they filled the container with sand and cement, effectively sealing it before attempting to dispose of the evidence permanently.
Beyond encasing the remains in concrete, the accused also made efforts to discard the murder weapon and eliminate physical traces linking them to the act. The prosecution presented forensic evidence, witness testimonies, and a reconstruction of the movements of the accused to establish the chain of events before and after the killing. Investigators eventually recovered the drum, an unearthing that brought the case into the spotlight and formed the core of the state’s case against the pair.
Flight to Himachal Pradesh and Arrest
Following the disposal of the body, Muskan and Sahil fled Uttar Pradesh in an effort to evade arrest. Police traced the duo to Himachal Pradesh, where they were apprehended approximately two weeks after the murder. The prosecution submitted detailed records of their subsequent flight, their attempts to secure shelter, and their actions during the days following the crime.
During the trial, the court evaluated the identification of the remains, the recovery of physical objects, and the individual roles played by both individuals. The prosecution argued that the crime involved clear premeditation, pointing to the drugging of the victim, the coordinated knife attack, and the systematic acquisition of materials used to entomb the body. The defence arguments were rejected after the court found that the witness statements and material exhibits established the guilt of both accused beyond reasonable doubt.
Conviction Recorded as Sentencing Awaited
With the verdict delivered on Wednesday, the trial has concluded its guilt determination phase. The Meerut court held both Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla formally guilty of murder as well as charges related to the destruction of evidence. The ruling affirms their full criminal responsibility for the planning, execution, and attempted cover-up of the killing.
The proceedings will now transition to the sentencing stage, where the court will hear arguments from both sides regarding the quantum of punishment. The forthcoming sentencing order will decide the final penalties to be imposed on the two convicts under the relevant provisions of the law.
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