New Delhi: Muskan Rastogi, who is accused of murdering her husband—former merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput, has requested jail authorities to allow her to study law so she can represent herself in court. Dissatisfied with her current legal representation, she has reportedly decided to fight her case independently.
According to police, Muskan, in alleged connivance with her lover Sahil Shukla, murdered her husband. They then mutilated his body, and concealed it in a blue drum and sealed it with cement. The body was discovered in Brahmapuri on March 18.
Muskan and her boyfriend, Sahil Shukla were arrested after returning from a holiday in Himachal Pradesh. They were lodged in Chaudhary Charan Singh District Jail in Meerut after their bail application was rejected.
Muskan’s desire to pursue legal studies
According to a report in The Times of India, Muskan has only studied up to Class 8 and has not completed her schooling. In order to pursue a law course, she must first complete her senior secondary education. Jail authorities noted that she may enroll through IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) for a law course after she has obtained her senior secondary certificate.
Jail superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma told The Times of India, “Since Muskan was lodged in jail, no one from her family has visited her, while Sahil’s maternal grandma and brother met him. Now, Muskan has sought the process to study legal education and we are thinking about it. If she wants to study, jail authorities will provide all necessary resources to her”.
Recent developments in the case
The Meerut police have filed a comprehensive 1,000-page chargesheet against Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, 69 days after the discovery of the victim’s body. The chargesheet details the alleged premeditated murder and disposal of the body.
Muskan’s parents, Kavita and Pramod Rastogi, have testified against their daughter, holding her responsible for the crime. Their statements have been included in the chargesheet and are expected to significantly strengthen the prosecution’s case.
Additionally, Muskan was reportedly found to be pregnant during a routine medical checkup in jail.
