Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, accused in the grisly murder of Meerut’s Saurabh Rajput, are in the Chaudhary Charan Singh District Jail. The two accused allegedly murdered Saurabh, chopped up his body into 15 pieces and sealed them in a drum with wet cement. On Sunday, they encountered an unexpected visitor – actor-turned-politician Arun Govil.

Mr Govil, a BJP leader and Meerut’s MP, distributed 1,500 copies of the Ramayana among inmates. The event, part of Mr Govil’s ongoing ‘Ghar Ghar Ramayan’ initiative, saw the prisoners welcome him with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ Mr Govil, known for his portrayal of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s hit television series ‘Ramayan’, has been spearheading this campaign in his Meerut-Hapur Lok Sabha constituency, aiming to distribute 11 lakh copies of the Ramayana nationwide. Since its launch 45 days ago in Hapur, over 11,000 copies have been distributed in the region.

Muskan and Sahil, lodged in judicial custody since March 19, are facing difficulties adjusting to prison life. Jail officials say that they have been experiencing severe drug withdrawal symptoms, which initially caused them to suffer from restlessness, insomnia, and loss of appetite. 

Mr Govil did not have a chat with any of the inmates but confirmed that Muskan and Sahil were “emotional” after meeting him.

“The inmates showed immense reverence for the Ramayana. If even a fraction of its teachings are followed, positivity can spread in society,” he said. “Distributing the Ramayana isn’t enough; we must implement its teachings in daily life. Even if we adopt 10 per cent of its values, society will see positive change.”

Muskan and Saurabh had married in 2016 despite family opposition and had a six-year-old daughter. Muskan was in an extramarital relationship with Sahil, with whom she drugged Saurabh, stabbed him, dismembered his body and sealed it inside a drum with cement. They then took a vacation to Himachal Pradesh, misleading Saurabh’s family by sending messages from his phone to conceal the crime.

The murder was uncovered on March 18, leading to their arrest.