NEW DELHI: A day after Muskan Rastogi, who is in jail along with her lover for allegedly murdering her husband, was found to be pregnant during a routine medical test, the victim’s family said they are willing to raise the child if it is biologically linked to their deceased son.
Chief medical officer Dr Ashok Kataria on Monday confirmed that a preliminary test had detected Muskan’s pregnancy.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Bablu Rajput, brother of the deceased Saurabh Rajput, said, “If the child is of my brother Saurabh's, we will adopt and raise the child.” There has been no response from Muskan's family so far.
Saurabh Rajput, a former Merchant Navy officer, was found murdered on the night of March 4 at his home in Indiranagar, Meerut. According to police, Muskan and her lover Sahil allegedly drugged and killed Saurabh before dismembering his body and hiding the severed parts in a blue drum filled with cement.
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Jail authorities said Sahil’s grandmother Pushpa had visited him at the jail on Monday, but no one from Muskan’s family has visited her yet. Senior Jail Superintendent Dr Viresh Raj Sharma said Muskan will now undergo an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy and determine its duration.
When asked if Muskan has been informed of the pregnancy, Dr Sharma said that she may have been told by the jail doctor, but the jail administration will only confirm it to her after the ultrasound report is received. He added that pregnancy and health tests are routine for all female inmates and that Muskan’s test was part of this standard procedure. So far, only verbal communication about the pregnancy has been received from doctors, Sharma added.
Dr Kataria also stated that an ultrasound would help clarify both the condition and timeline of the pregnancy.
Investigations into the sensational murder case have revealed that Muskan may have been planning her husband’s killing since November 2023. Both Muskan and Sahil are currently in judicial custody. Jail sources said Muskan is engaged in sewing work, while Sahil is assigned agricultural tasks. Both have also been enrolled in a rehabilitation programme facilitated by a drug de-addiction centre.
