'Puncture in heart, head severed, hands cut off, legs bent backwards': Autopsy reveals savagery of killing in Meerut murder

NEW DELHI: Saurabh Rajput's post-mortem report painted a horrifying picture of his brutal murder—his heart was punctured by deep stab wounds, head was severed from the body, both hands were cut off from the wrist and his legs were bent backwards, suggesting an attempt to fit the body in a drum.
Former Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput was allegedly murdered and dismembered by his wife, Muskan Rastogi, and her lover, Sahil Shukla, before being sealed inside a cement-filled drum.
Medical experts concluded that Saurabh's death was caused by severe shock and massive blood loss. The post-mortem examination revealed three deep, forceful stab wounds to the heart, suggesting a sustained and brutal attack.
"The blows from the sharp long knife pierced deep inside the heart," one of the doctors told news agency PTI.
Superintendent of Police (City) Ayush Vikram Singh verified the post-mortem results. He said, "Muskan brutally stabbed Saurabh in his heart, puncturing it. His neck was severed and both palms were cut off. The body was cut up into four pieces to fit it in the drum."
The medical team provided additional details about the concealment efforts. "It was put in the drum and then filled with dust and cement. The body solidified in the cement and did not rot due to lack of air. The smell was not extremely foul," a post-mortem team member told PTI.
The retrieval process required cutting open the drum and carefully removing the hardened cement.
Also read: Muskaan Rastogi, her lover Sahil Shukla played Holi, celebrated birthday days after husband Saurabh Rajput's murder in Meerut
Despite family opposition, Muskan and Saurabh married in 2016 following their courtship and had a daughter who is now six years old. Muskan and Sahil's relationship began after they reconnected through a WhatsApp group of former schoolmates in 2019.
Saurabh Rajput was allegedly drugged and brutally stabbed to death by his wife and her lover on March 4. His body was dismembered and sealed inside a cement-filled drum to cover up the crime. Initially hidden in a bathroom overnight, his remains remained in the drum for two weeks.
Following the murder, the couple took a vacation to Himachal Pradesh, deceiving Saurabh's family by sending messages from his phone to create the illusion that he was still alive.
Singh previously said, "Muskan manipulated Sahil through fake Snapchat messages, making him believe they were signs from his deceased mother. Days before Saurabh's return, she bought two knives, claiming they were for cutting chicken, and faked anxiety to obtain sedatives, which she later used to drug her husband before the attack."
"Muskaan exploited Sahil’s grief over his late mother, convincing him that she had reincarnated and was guiding him to kill Saurabh," Singh added.
The crime came to light when Muskan eventually confessed to her parents, who alerted the police. Both Muskan and Sahil were arrested and charged with murder and destruction of evidence.
Earlier, Muskan's parents admitted that their daughter had "committed a big mistake." Muskan’s father called for swift justice and said, "the verdict, in this case, should come fast and I don't want anything less than capital punishment for her...what she did is very wrong...my son-in-law should get justice."