The woman arrested for the gruesome killing of her husband, a former Merchant Navy officer, in Meerut, harboured aspirations of becoming a movie star since childhood, the victim’s brother has revealed.

According to the police, Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla confessed to having stabbed Saurabh Gupta to death on March 4. The two then chopped his body, put the remains inside a drum and sealed it with cement. The two were arrested on Tuesday and remanded in 14-day judicial custody Wednesday.

According to a report in News18 Hindi, the victim’s brother stated that Muskan’s ambitions of being a film star had previously driven her to run away from home, leading to a divorce case and domestic disputes.

The report also quoted police sources as saying that the woman previously believed to be Muskan’s mother, who has been demanding the death penalty for the accused couple, is her stepmother.

Police investigations have also reportedly revealed that after killing Saurabh, Muskan and Sahil were seen roaming the streets with his severed head and palm in a bag. During this time, Muskan allegedly bought a drum and a knife from the market. The police are also questioning those who sold the drum and knife to gather stronger evidence for severe punishment.

Additionally, it has come to light that Saurabh discovered his wife’s infidelity in 2021 and had filed for divorce.

A video has also surfaced from a few days before the murder, showing Saurabh, Muskan, and their daughter dancing.

It has been reported that Saurabh’s body was dismembered and stored in a drum filled with cement. The shopkeeper who sold the drum to Muskan confirmed that a woman had bought the drum for Rs 1,100 without bargaining.

Muskan allegedly drugged Saurabh before the murder, with the medical store confirming the sale of the drugs. Meanwhile, it has been reported that the shopkeeper who sold the knife used in the murder is uncertain if it was bought from his shop.

Meanwhile, Saurabh’s family disputes Muskan’s parents’ claim of ignorance regarding the incident. Saurabh’s mother, Renu Devi, stated that Muskan’s parents are misleading the police, asserting that Muskan’s mother knew about the crime in advance and went to the police station to avoid legal consequences.

Moreover, Saurabh’s mother, Renu Devi, claimed that her son’s six-year-old daughter was aware of his death. “That is why, as we have come to know from some people, she (Saurabh’s daughter) was saying, ‘Papa is in the drum’," Renu Devi said.

However, police dismissed this claim, saying the girl might have known about it after the gory incident came to light.

“When Muskan was telling the story of the incident to the family members, the girl might have been present there. The girl did not know anything (beforehand) about this," SP City Ayush Vikram Singh was quoted as saying by PTI.

According to police sources, Muskan informed her family about the murder on March 18, and they took her to the police. Following this, a case was registered, the body was recovered, and both Muskan and Sahil were arrested.

According to the police, Muskan had been planning Saurabh’s murder since November 2023. They added that Muskan exploited Sahil’s superstitions by creating a fake Snapchat ID, posing as Sahil’s deceased mother.

Through this fake ID, Muskan convinced Sahil that his dead mother wanted Saurabh killed, a claim currently under further investigation.

Muskan allegedly sought a secluded place to bury Saurabh’s body post-murder. Before Saurabh returned from London in February, she had purchased knives under the guise of cutting chicken and acquired sedatives.

Police said Muskan believed Saurabh’s family would not search for him after his murder, as they had not been in regular contact for the past couple of years. The police officer revealed that Saurabh’s family had not spoken to him in the last two years due to their anger over his marriage to Muskan, leading her to believe his absence would go unnoticed.