Kasol, Mar 22, 2025, IANS

Kasol, March 22 (IANS) After slaughtering her husband, Muskaan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla went on a six-day vacation to Kasol, Himachal Pradesh, and celebrated Sahil's birthday. The staff of the hotel in which they stayed said that the couple behaved in a strange manner and never went out of the room. This happened just days after the gruesome murder of Muskaan's husband, ex-Merchant Navy man Saurabh Rajput. The accused, attempting to create an alibi, stayed at Hotel Purnima from March 10 to March 16. The gruesome crime and the couple's subsequent carefree getaway in the hills have sent shockwaves across the nation. Saurabh, who had recently returned from London to celebrate his daughter's birthday, was drugged, killed, and chopped into 15 pieces by Muskaan and Sahil. His remains were found sealed in a plastic drum filled with cement more than a week after his disappearance. Speaking to IANS, Hotel Purnima operator Aman revealed that the couple checked into Room 203 with their driver and behaved unusually throughout their stay. "They rarely left the room, avoided interactions with the staff, and never requested room cleaning. They even celebrated Sahil's birthday on March 11 inside the room," Aman said. "They did not talk to the hotel staff and did not ask for cleaning of the room even once in these 6 days. During this period of 6 days, their food was also always ordered in the room," he added. Aman mentioned that initially, Sahil presented only his own ID, claiming Muskaan was his wife. When the hotel staff insisted, he provided Muskaan's ID as well. The duo mentioned they had stayed in Manali before arriving in Kasol and planned to return to Uttar Pradesh. After checking out on March 16, Muskaan and Sahil tried to cover their tracks by telling Saurabh's family that he had gone abroad. However, when they ran out of money and could not sustain their lie, Saurabh's family became suspicious and filed a police complaint. During interrogation, both Muskaan and Sahil confessed to the murder. Investigations revealed that Saurabh and Muskaan had a love marriage in 2016 and welcomed a daughter in 2019. Saurabh's decision to leave his Merchant Navy job and later move to London to work at a bakery created financial strain and tension in their marriage. Muskaan's family frequently provided her with money, while Saurabh's alcohol addiction further worsened their relationship. Upon his return to India on February 24, conflicts between the couple escalated. Muskaan and Sahil first attempted to kill Saurabh on February 25 but failed. Days later, they succeeded in executing their sinister plan. Police discovered Saurabh's dismembered remains in a drum but had to use a drill machine to break through the hardened cement.