Saurabh Rajput died of shock and excessive bleeding, an autopsy report revealed as the Meerut Police was told that Muskaan Rastogi had punctured his heart with repeated stabs to the chest.
The investigation team probing the murder of the former Merchant Navy Officer had learnt that Muskaan, 27, bought new kitchen knives to kill her husband. The trader was told that she needed the blades to cut chicken.
Following the murder, Saurabh Rajput's head was severed from the neck by Muskaan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla. While earlier reports claimed that his body was chopped into 15 pieces to fit inside the drum, the latest updates say otherwise. Superintendent of Police (City) Ayush Vikram Singh who verified Saurabh Rajput's post-mortem results told news agency PTI that his body was cut into four. His arms were found separated at the wrists and his legs were bent backwards.
Cement and dust were used to fill the drum by Sahil and his lover fatally stabbed her husband. This mixture not only made the drum holding the victim's mortal remains extremely heavy but also caused it to solidify. Due to the absence of air inside the drum, Saurabh's body was not decomposed, reports suggest. While he was allegedly murdered on March 4, it was only a few days ago that it came to light. Rastogi stabbed Rajput thrice in the chest -- piercing his heart deep, the postmortem revealed. The reason for the legs of the victim being bent backwards was to fit it inside the drum, the police believe.
Meerut Police had to break open the drum and separate body parts from the thickened cement. However, the stench emanating from the solidified composure was not extremely foul, confirming that the body was not rotting at the natural rate.
Sahil Shukla, 25, helped his lover Muskaan Rastogi to murder her 29-year-old husband Saurabh Rajput so that they could start a new life together. The crime was planned by Rastogi alone who is said to have exploited her boyfriend's mental vulnerability to join her plot. They have been trying to drug and murder Rajput ever since he returned from London in late February to celebrate his daughter's birthday and finally succeeded on March 4.
