Meerut, March 22 -- First, a gruesome murder. Then, holidaying and celebrating Holi in Himachal Pradesh before returning to Meerut. This is what Muskan Rastogi and her partner in crime Sahil Shukla, both aged 27 years, were up to before the murder of Muskan's husband and merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput came to light on March 18, police officials investigating the crime said.

Police findings indicate that the murder was months in the making. Muskan had researched sedatives online and procured them discreetly, the investigators said.

Saurabh had returned to Meerut from London on February 24 to reunite with his family and celebrate two significant occasions: Muskan's birthday on February 27 and their daughter's sixth birthday the day ...