In Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Saurabh Rajput was brutally murdered inside his home on March 3, 2025. According to police investigations, Saurabh's wife, Muskaan Rustagi, alongside her lover and trainee Sahil Shukla, stabbed Saurabh thrice forcefully in the heart with a sharp knife, causing excessive bleeding and death. To dispose of the body, the perpetrators severed Saurabh's head, cut off both palms at the wrists, bent his legs, dismembered his torso into four parts, and placed the remains inside a blue drum sealed with cement. Muskaan purchased 10 kilograms of bleaching powder online to scrub the crime scene and destroy evidence. Following the murder, Muskaan and Sahil traveled to Kasauli and Himachal Pradesh from March 10 to March 16, celebrating Sahil's birthday on March 11. They returned to Meerut on March 17. On March 19, the house remained padlocked; five days later, police breached the lock and recovered the cement-sealed drum containing the body. Investigations revealed that Muskaan had created three fake Snapchat accounts—impersonating herself, Sahil's deceased mother, and Sahil's brother—to manipulate Sahil into committing the murder by fabricating spiritual messages. Both suspects were arrested, confessed to substance dependency, and were placed under medical observation and psychiatric counseling for withdrawal symptoms inside jail.
Country: India
State/Province: Uttar Pradesh, India
City/Region: Meerut
Incident Type: Domestic Violence Homicide
Relationship Status: Married
Relationship Duration:
Incident Date: March 3, 2025
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How the relationship or connection began.
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2025-03-03
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
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Infidelity
The case demonstrates an extreme escalation of extramarital infidelity combined with digital manipulation and severe substance abuse. Muskaan Rustagi entered an extramarital relationship with Sahil Shukla while married to Saurabh Rajput. Over months, she systematically brainwashed Sahil using fake social media profiles, leading to a violent planned homicide, dismemberment, concealment, and a post-crime vacation.
Police opened the locked home five days after March 19 and recovered the body dismembered in four pieces inside a cement-filled drum. Forensics confirmed three deep stabs to the heart. Both suspects were arrested, experienced drug withdrawal in jail barracks, and received psychiatric counseling. Legal counsel requests were submitted to the court, and prison officials noted standard procedures regarding medical/pregnancy testing and inmate visitation under the UP Jail Manual.
Initial confusion surrounded the whereabouts of Saurabh Rajput after his home was padlocked on March 19. The perpetrators attempted to avoid detection and decomposition odors by sealing the dismembered body parts in cement inside a blue drum and using 10 kg of bleaching powder to clean bloodstains.
Muskaan Rustagi prepared the crime over several months by creating three fake Snapchat accounts to impersonate Sahil's deceased mother and brother, coercing Sahil into believing a supernatural force demanded their union. On March 3, under the influence of drugs, Muskaan and Sahil fatally stabbed Saurabh Rajput thrice in the heart, dismembered his body into four parts, sealed him in cement inside a drum, and cleaned the floor with bleaching powder. They subsequently vacationed in Kasauli before returning to Meerut, where police eventually uncovered the drum.
High risk factors included covert digital manipulation, extramarital conflict, substance dependency, severe lack of emotional engagement, and pre-existing behavioral deception. The combination of intense psychological manipulation and drug abuse escalated rapidly to lethal violence.
Digital impersonation can be weaponized for severe psychological coercion within abusive romantic dynamics. Post-crime behaviors such as cement encasement and leisure travel highlight extreme moral disengagement and post-offense concealment attempts.
Prolonged marital strain, secret extramarital involvement with a trainee, heavy drug use, and secretive digital communication on Snapchat using multiple accounts.
A padlocked home with silence after March 19, an online purchase of 10 kilograms of bleaching powder, evidence of substance abuse in Sahil's room, and fake Snapchat accounts.
Post-mortem findings showing three deep cardiac stab wounds, decapitation, cut wrists, body dismemberment into four parts, cement-filled blue drum, bleaching powder residue, and Snapchat chat logs.
Not reported.
Subsequent police investigation revealed fake Snapchat profiles created by Muskaan to manipulate Sahil, details on their vacation to Himachal Pradesh, post-mortem findings of cardiac rupture, and jail updates regarding de-addiction counseling and legal aid requests.
Pending formal court trial outcomes, potential pregnancy test results, and final legal representation assignments.