Meerut: Meerut prison’s Senior Jail Superintendent, Veeresh Raj Sharma, on Wednesday revealed that Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla, convicts in the sensational murder of Saurabh Rajput, whose body was found stuffed inside a blue drum, broke down after being sentenced to death by a district court and went back to their barracks “weeping”.
The two were awarded capital punishment after the case was categorised as “rarest of the rare”.
Speaking to IANS, Sharma said: “Today, the Honourable Court sentenced Muskan and Sahil to death. I was present in the video conferencing (VC) room while they were being produced before the court; I feel neither of them expected the death penalty — they were anticipating, at most, life imprisonment.”
“However, the moment the sentence — the harshest in the Indian judicial system — was pronounced, they went into deep shock and broke down, weeping bitterly,” he said.
The Jail Superintendent said that both the convicts were in a distressed state.
“They wept all the way from the VC room back to their barracks. Naturally, when someone receives such a severe sentence, it causes immense grief and anguish,” he said.
Asked whether Muskan and Sahil met each other, Sharma denied, saying: “Since the proceedings took place via video conferencing, in-person meetings aren’t permitted. They simply returned to their respective barracks.”
Describing the moments after the verdict, he said: “We didn’t speak to them for long. Once the Honourable Court concluded the sentencing, we counselled them. We explained the subsequent procedures, that they could choose to appeal themselves, or the Prison Department would file an appeal (on their behalf), and asked them to decide and inform us within two days.”
“We also held a security-related meeting within the jail to determine their housing arrangements. Once we receive the detailed order, they will be assigned convict numbers and uniforms, and provided with standard prison meals. Furthermore, since the sentence includes rigorous imprisonment, they will be required to perform manual labour,” he mentioned.
Meanwhile, lawyers celebrated the verdict of death penalty in the case by distributing sweets outside the district court. They said that the punishment accorded to Muskan and Sahil was commensurate with the crime.
Earlier on Wednesday, the family of Saurabh Rajput, a former Merchant Navy officer, welcomed the capital punishment awarded to his purported killers.
(IANS)
