MEERUT: Muskan Rastogi, accused of brutally murdering her husband, former merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput, has been showing signs of distress. She has been eating very little, often sitting alone in a corner, and demanding injections. Meanwhile, her co-accused and lover, Sahil Shukla, is restless due to the lack of marijuana, a jail official said on Saturday.
Read also: Saurabh Rajput murder case: Accused Muskan Rastogi seeks govt defense counsel as family cuts ties
Since their arrival at Meerut District Jail on March 19, both undertrials have been lodged in separate barracks—about 1.5 km apart. Struggling with severe withdrawal symptoms from drug addiction, they are under constant medical supervision to prevent their condition from worsening.
Their request to be placed in close proximity has been denied, and so far, none of their immediate family members have visited them.
“They have been confined in separate barracks—Muskan in barrack 12, designated for women undertrials and Sahil in barrack 18 at the prison’s reception centre. A medical team is administering anti-addiction medicines and it will take about 10 days for them to adjust to the new environment,” the official said.
Meerut SSP Dr. Vipin Tada stated that efforts are underway to have the case heard in a fast-track court. Investigations revealed that Sahil and Muskan had been using drugs for years, especially after reconnecting in 2019.
Understanding withdrawal symptoms: What happens when you quit an addiction?
Health experts say that when a person addicted to substances like nicotine, drugs, or alcohol stops using them, they may experience withdrawal symptoms.
These can include intense cravings, difficulty sleeping, irritability, restlessness, trouble concentrating, and mood swings, often leading to feelings of anxiety or depression.
Physical symptoms may involve headaches, body aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, sweating and trembling.
In severe cases, withdrawal can cause serious complications such as psychosis, confusion, disorientation, and even seizures.
Saurabh Rajput murder case
Saurabh Rajput, a former merchant navy officer, returned to Meerut from London on February 24 to surprise his wife on her birthday, unaware that he was walking into a death trap. By the time his absence raised suspicions, he had already been drugged, murdered, beheaded, and left to decompose in a plastic drum for nearly two weeks.
The gruesome crime, committed on March 4, was uncovered only on Tuesday.
SP (City) Ayush Vikram Singh revealed that Muskan had been planning the murder since November. “She manipulated Sahil by sending fake Snapchat messages, making him believe they were signs from his deceased mother. In the days leading up to Saurabh’s return, she purchased two knives, claiming they were for cutting chicken, and pretended to have anxiety to acquire sedatives, which she later used to drug her husband before the killing.”
According to Singh, Muskan preyed on Sahil’s grief, convincing him that his late mother had reincarnated and was guiding him to murder Saurabh. “She also misled Sahil by claiming that Saurabh was not in the merchant navy but working in a bakery in London. These claims are still being verified,” he added.
Both Muskan and Sahil have been charged with murder and destruction of evidence.
‘She should be hanged’: Parents of Muskan
Muskan’s parents have disowned her, demanding the harshest punishment. “That boy (Saurabh) was a good man. We want justice and demand she be hanged,” her mother told ANI.
Her father echoed the same, stating, “My daughter murdered her husband. She is a threat to society. I urge others not to make such mistakes. She deserves the death penalty.”
