Meerut murder case | 'Thank god I am not married,' says preacher Bageshwar Baba; questions upbringing of accused

'Right now, blue drum is famous in India and many husbands are in shock,' he said in reference to the blue drum that was used to bury Meerut victim Saurabh Rajput's body parts in cement.

Religious preacher Dhirendra Krishna Shastri of Bageshwar Dham, also known as Bageshwar Baba, reacted to the gruesome Meerut murder, stating that there must a fault in their upbringing for such things to occur, adding on a humourous note that he thanks God for not being married.

According to NDTV, when asked about the case, the preacher said, "Right now, blue drum is famous in India and many husbands are in shock," in reference to the blue drum that was used to bury Meerut victim Saurabh Rajput's body parts in cement. He added humorously, "Thank God, I am not married."

Further, speaking to ANI, he said," The Meerut case is unfortunate. In the present society, the declining family system, the advent of Western culture and married men or women engaged in affairs are destroying families..."

"This is a lack of values. If anyone's son or daughter is doing such acts, it means there is a lack of upbringing. Therefore, to build a cultured family, it is necessary for every Indian to take Shri Ramcharitmanas as a basis," he added.

Saurabh's wife Muskaan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla, accused of the murder, have been lodged in Chaudhary Charan Singh district jail here since March 19 after a court here sent the duo to judicial custody for 14 days, and are reportedly undergoing drug withdrawal symptoms.

Rajput was drugged and then stabbed to death allegedly by Muskan and Sahil on March 4, his body was dismembered into 15 pieces and sealed inside a drum with cement.

The duo then went on a vacation to Himachal Pradesh while misleading Rajput's family by sending them messages from his phone.

Muskan and Rajput got married in 2016 against his family's wishes, following a relationship and they had a six-year-old daughter.

Muskan and Sahil had known each other since school and reconnected via a WhatsApp group in 2019, police said.

(With PTI inputs)