Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, who have been convicted in the murder of Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput, whose body was stuffed in a blue drum, were counselled in jail after they became emotional and ate very little following the verdict, officials said on Thursday.
The court convicted the two on Wednesday and will pronounce the sentence on October 14. It has given them 15 days to present their arguments on sentencing, including reasons why they should be awarded a lesser punishment.
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Senior Jail Superintendent Dr Viresh Raj Sharma told PTI, “Both the convicts had refused to eat dinner on Wednesday night after being pronounced guilty. They ate only a small quantity of food after jail officials counselled them.”
He added, “Counselling was also conducted on Thursday, following which they again ate sparingly,” and said the jail administration was preparing to continue the sessions in view of their mental state. “Sahil was seen crying in jail for the first time, while Muskan also appeared quite distressed,” he said.
Muskan, who has a 10-month-old daughter staying with her in jail, also raised concerns about the child’s future, Sharma said. He added that under the rules, a child can stay with her mother in jail until she turns six.
The hearing on Wednesday was conducted through video conferencing, and Muskan appeared with her daughter. The court held that the evidence on record established that the two had jointly committed the crime.
After the verdict, Rajput’s mother Renu Devi and brother Rahul became emotional and demanded the death penalty for the convicts. The family said it had faith in the judiciary but wanted the maximum punishment for the two.
According to police, Rajput was murdered on March 4, 2025. The accused allegedly dismembered his body and concealed the remains in a blue drum filled with cement. Muskan and Sahil were arrested after an investigation in which the prosecution presented evidence and witnesses before the court.
Nearly 19 months after the crime came to light, the narrow lane in Meerut’s Brahmpuri locality where the murder took place continues to be linked to the case. The house where the crime was committed has remained locked since the incident. Its owner, Ompal Singh, told local media that his sons live abroad and he does not stay at the property.
He said he had not been able to find either a tenant or a buyer for the house, which locals still refer to as the “murder house”.
A two-storey house owned by Muskan’s father, Pramod Rastogi, around 200 metres from the crime scene, is also being put up for sale by the family. Relatives said the property was valued at around Rs 70-75 lakh, but no buyer had come forward so far.
With the convicts now found guilty, the sentencing on October 14 is being awaited by both families, while the case continues to cast a shadow over the properties linked to it.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
