In the case of the murder of merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput in Meerut, a cab driver has revealed alarming details about the ensuing behavior of Muskaan Rastogi and her lover, Sahil Shukla.
Following the tragic murder of Saurabh, the couple took a trip to Himachal Pradesh, ostensibly to escape the situation. Driver Ajab Singh recounted that throughout their journey to Shimla and Manali, the couple's demeanor was strangely calm, which stood out given the gravity of their actions.
Ajab mentioned that Muskaan and Sahil, both 27, barely exchanged words during the trip, with Muskaan receiving just two calls from her mother while they were away. According to a report by PTI, they spent six days in Himachal after allegedly committing the crime, before returning to Meerut on March 17.
The driver also noted that Sahil had a routine of consuming two bottles of alcohol each day, while Muskaan drank three cans of beer that they brought with them from Shamli. Interestingly, the couple celebrated Holi with remarkable enthusiasm, contrasting sharply with their alleged crime.
On the day of the murder, March 4, Muskaan and Sahil booked a Swift Dzire for a 15-day trip, which included visits to Shimla and Manali. They introduced themselves as husband and wife and checked into a hotel in Kasol on March 10, where they remained for six days, leaving only on March 16. According to Aman Kumar, the hotel operator, their behavior was peculiar; they spent most of their time in their room and ventured out only once a day, avoiding interaction with the hotel staff and refusing housekeeping services.
Muskaan even sent an audio message to the driver, requesting a cake for Sahil’s birthday while they were at the hotel. In that message, she asked the driver not to call her but simply to message her about the cake’s arrival.
The trip cost ₹54,000, and throughout the journey, the driver maintained he was unaware of their criminal wrongdoing, believing they were just vacationing in Shimla and Manali. However, he eventually noticed Muskaan's drinking after witnessing her intoxication on their return to Meerut, where they purchased more alcohol along the way.
An audio message from Muskaan circulated on social media, in which she said: “Bhaiya, please bring me a cake from somewhere. Just send me a message to confirm if you’ve got it, don’t call. Bring it to our room and say, ‘This is my stuff, keep it; I'll take it tomorrow morning.’ That’s all you need to do.”
Moreover, a video surfaced showing Muskaan and Sahil enjoying themselves at a Holi party, corroborating their seemingly carefree disposition. Another clip depicted her celebrating Sahil’s birthday in Kasol, feeding him cake and sharing a kiss.
According to police reports, both Muskaan and Sahil confessed to stabbing Saurabh to death on March 4, after which they dismembered his body and disposed of the remains in a drum, sealing it with cement. The couple was arrested on Tuesday, as the investigation unfolded.
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