A dramatic scene unfolded in a Meerut court on Wednesday when a woman and her boyfriend, accused of the brutal murder of her Merchant Navy officer husband, were confronted by a mob of over 100 angry lawyers. The two, Muskaan Rastogi and her boyfriend Sahil Shukla, were shielded by police when they exited the courtroom, where the mood nearly came to assault point.
The fight broke out after they were brought before the additional chief judicial magistrate in the murder case of Muskaan’s husband, Saurabh Rajput. Muskaan and Sahil had drugged Saurabh, stabbed him to death, cut his body into 15 pieces, and filled a drum with cement along with the remains, police allege.
While the early court hearings were peaceful, tempers flared as news spread of the lawyers gathering outside. Additional police were deployed, but they were faced by an aggressive crowd of individuals who were determined to get their hands on the accused. The chaos was caught on tape as the lawyers shouted “taiyyar raho” (stay ready) and “maaro” (attack) while attempting to push through the police cordon.
Despite the efforts of the police to protect Muskaan and Sahil, some lawyers managed to strike them as they were being taken to a waiting police vehicle. One very aggressive lawyer even climbed onto an SUV, attempting to assault the accused killers from above. The situation became so intense that police had to push the crowd back while having the couple safely driven away.
Previously, Superintendent of Police Ayush Vikram Singh revealed that Muskaan had meticulously planned the murder of her husband since last November. Singh detailed how Muskaan manipulated Sahil, making him think that his mother, who was deceased, was communicating with him through a fake Snapchat account created by her, drawing him further into the murder plot.
The attack has prompted serious questions about courtroom security and how the justice system handles high-profile criminal cases.
