Meerut murder: Deceased’s kin allege involvement of ‘occult practices’

Police intervene as lawyers trash accused Sahil Shukla while he was being produced in a court in connection with Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput’s killing, in Meerut. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Family members of Saurabh Rajput, killed allegedly by his wife Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla, have claimed that occult practices were central to the murder.

Though police have not yet commented on the claims, Rajput’s mother Renu Devi said, “Both Muskaan and Sahil were into occult practices. They killed my son by performing tantric rituals.” Rajput’s in-laws, Kavita and Pramod Rastogi, alleged it was Mr. Sahil who held their daughter Ms. Muskan “captive” by making her believe in tantric rituals. He also kept Ms. Muskan isolated from her six-year-old daughter, they claimed.

Saurabh Rajput was allegedly drugged and then stabbed to death by his wife and her lover on March 4, his body dismembered and sealed inside a drum with cement. The duo then went on a vacation to Himachal Pradesh, all the while misleading Rajput’s family by sending them messages from his phone.

The matter was reported to police on March 18, following which Ms. Muskan and Mr. Sahil were arrested.

“Sahil’s occult practices dominated Muskan’s mind in such a way that she started keeping her six-year-old daughter away. Sahil had made Muskaan an addict and completely superstitious,” the deceased’s mother said.

Meanwhile, according to police sources, Ms. Muskan’s statements indicate that Mr. Sahil manipulated her into committing the murder, claiming it was necessary for their new life together.

A source in the police said, “Muskan has made it clear in her statements that Sahil had said that ‘you will have to kill Saurabh, only then we can start a new life’.” “Sahil got Muskan to kill her husband. First, he made her sit on Saurabh’s chest. Then he brought a knife from the kitchen, showed her how to wield it and directed her to insert the knife in Saurabh’s heart thrice.”

“When Muskan could not bring herself to use the knife, Sahil held her hand and made her stab an unconscious Saurabh in the heart thrice,” the source said.

Asked about the claims about the alleged involvement of occult practices in the case, Superintendent of Police (City) Ayush Vikaram Singh replied, “All aspects of the case are being looked into.”