UP murder: Merchant navy officer’s body chopped, sealed in cement-filled drum; wife, lover confess to chilling crime

A merchant navy officer was killed allegedly by his wife and her lover in Uttar Pradesh. The accused chopped the man's body into 15 pieces and sealed his body parts in a drum filled with cement, police said on March 18. The incident was reported in the Indira Nagar area in Meerat.

Meerut city SP Ayush Vikram Singh told news agency PTI that the accused were identified as Muskan and Sahil. The victim, 29-year-old Saurabh Rajput, had come home on March 4 and was missing since then.

"A person named Saurabh Rajput, working in merchant Navy, came home on March 4 and had been missing since then," SP Ayush Vikram Singh told ANI.

Police said that on the basis of suspicion, his wife Muskan and her partner Sahil were called for questioning. The woman, Muskan, and her lover, Sahil, were arrested after the body was recovered, News 18 reported.

How did the crime come to light?

The crime came to light due to a foul smell and when information about merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput going missing on March 4 was received.

“An investigation was launched upon receiving information about the matter,” ASP Ayush Vikram Singh was quoted by News18 as saying.

Accused confess to crime

"During the questioning, Sahil confessed that on March 4, he and Muskan stabbed Saurabh to death. They dismembered the body, put it in a drum and sealed it with cement. Police have recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem," he added.

The police said that the accused, Sahil and Muskan, have been arrested and an FIR has been registered against them.

Further investigation is underway.

The body was sent for post-mortem, and a case was registered based on a complaint from Saurabh’s family.

The victim’s family alleged that Muskan attempted to mislead them by sending messages from Saurabh’s phone.

After committing the crime, she allegedly went on a vacation with Sahil to a hill station, Singh was quoted by News18 as saying.

Social media reacts

The news soon went viral on social media, with users shocked by the details of the crime.

“I mean how can one go to such extent that they have to cut pieces??? We have lost morality. I would urge all the men who are indulged in a relationship with such girls to back off,” a person wrote on X.

“Nowadays this has become a common occurrence in the country, what can I say, there is no such thing as law left,” another added.

Some users also demanded harsh punishment for the accused.

“Justice would be, this killer and her boyfriend be given the death penalty in the same way they took someone's life. No mercy. India needs to stricken the laws around such serious crimes,” a user said.

“If she and her bf are awarded death sentence and execution carried out within months then rest of such people in the country will think twice before doing crimes like this. But then again, nothing will happen. Few yrs in jail, followed by bail... just like all criminals,” said another one.