Meerut murder horror: Cab driver reveals what Muskaan, Sahil did during their trip to Shimla, Manali

Driver Ajab Singh said based on behaviour of Muskaan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, it didn’t feel like they had just killed merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput.

Updated on: Mar 22, 2025, 19:35:31 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Aniruddha Dhar

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Merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput murder in Meerut: A cab driver—whose vehicle Muskaan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla took for a mountain trip in Himachal Pradesh after her husband Saurabh Rajput's murder in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut— reportedly shared all the details of their journey.

Police take away Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput's wife Muskaan and her lover Sahil Shukla after they were arrested in connection with his murder, in Meerut, on March 19, 2025. (PTI)

Driver Ajab Singh told India Today TV that based on their behaviour, it didn’t feel like they had just killed the 29-year-old navy merchant navy.

The driver added that throughout the journey to Shimla and Manali, Muskaan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, both 27, barely spoke to each other. Muskaan only received two calls from her mother during the trip.

Also Read | Lover asked Meerut murder accused Muskaan Rastogi to ‘stab Saurabh in heart thrice’ | Autopsy reveals chilling details

News agency PTI, however, reported Muskaan and Sahil Shukla stayed in Himachal's Kasol for six days after allegedly committing the gruesome act. After the murder, the duo travelled to Himachal Pradesh, attempting to cover their tracks, before returning to Meerut on March 17, it reported.

Ajab Singh also revealed that Sahil used to drink two bottles of alcohol every day, and Muskaan drank three cans of beer brought from Shamli after arriving in Himachal Pradesh. He added the two celebrated Holi with great enthusiasm.

Sahil and Muskaan’s 15-day trip

After brutally killing Saurabh Rajput, Muskaan and Sahil booked a Swift Dzire on March 4—the same day of the murder—and set off on a 15-day trip covering Shimla and Manali, NDTV reported.

Also Read | Merchant navy officer murder: Saurabh's headless body kept in bed box in Meerut, wife slept on it; lover took hands home

Couple introduced themselves as husband and wife

The PTI report claimed that the couple introduced themselves as husband and wife, checked into a hotel in Kasol on March 10, stayed for six days, and left on March 16. Their driver accompanied them, said hotel operator Aman Kumar on Saturday.

Usually, tourists come to Kasol to see new places and enjoy the scenic beauty of the place, but this couple stayed in their room (203) the whole day and only went out once a day in the car, which was unusual, the hotel operator said.

They did not meet anybody, did not allow hotel staff to clean the room and had minimum interaction with the staff, Aman Kumar said, adding that during check out, the couple told the hotel operator that they had come from Manali and would go back to Uttar Pradesh.

Intoxication and alcohol purchases

The driver also revealed an audio message from Muskaan. While staying at a hotel during the Shimla tour, she ordered a cake from the driver for Sahil’s birthday in the audio message on WhatsApp, instructing him to only send a message to confirm its arrival, not to call.

Also Read | Meerut murder: Video shows Merchant Navy officer dancing with ‘killer’ wife

The cab was booked for 15 days at a cost of ₹54,000. The driver also claimed that he was unaware of any wrongdoing; they had just stayed in Shimla and Manali. He added that Sahil used to get intoxicated every evening, purchasing one or two bottles, and he did not realise that Muskaan also indulged in drinking until he saw her getting drunk on the way back to Meerut after buying alcohol along the route, the NDTV report added.

Also Read | Decoding the ‘concrete’ plot behind merchant navy officer’s murder in Meerut

Audio message from Muskaan

Muskaan sent an audio message, which has gone viral on social media, to the driver in which she said: “Bhaiya, please bring me a cake from somewhere. Do not call me—just message me to let me know if you got it. Bring the cake to our room and say, 'This is my stuff, keep it; I'll take it tomorrow morning.' That's all you have to do.”

Also Read | Meerut murder: Viral video shows Muskan 'dancing' on Holi days after killing husband

Celebrated Holi

A video of the couple has emerged that purportedly showed Muskaan and Sahil attending a Holi party. HT.com could independently verify the authenticity of the video and the above-mentioned claims.

In a video from the Holi party, Muskaan and Sahil are seen smiling and enjoying the music together. In another clip, Muskaan is shown celebrating Sahil's birthday in Kasol, where she feeds him cake before giving him a kiss.

Sensational Meerut murder case

According to police, Muskaan and her Sahil confessed to having stabbed Saurabh to death on March 4. The two then chopped up his body, put the remains inside a drum and sealed it with cement.

The two were arrested on Tuesday.

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