In a chilling case of betrayal and murder, a woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar allegedly killed her two infant children by poisoning them with sweets, all to remove the "obstacles" in her path to marry her lover. The woman, identified as Muskan (25), has been arrested along with her lover Junaid, who police say supplied the poison and conspired in the murder.
The victims were Muskan’s four-year-old son Arhan and one-year-old daughter Anaya. Both died after consuming poison-laced rasgullas, which were allegedly prepared by their mother on Thursday at their home in Rudkali Talab Ali village in the Bhopal area.
Investigations reveal that Junaid, a relative of Muskan and her former lover from Khedi Firozabad, had refused to take responsibility for her children when they rekindled their relationship. With Muskan's husband Wasim, a daily-wage laborer, frequently working in Chandigarh and other states, the duo allegedly saw the children as a barrier to their reunion.
Junaid reportedly arrived at Muskan’s home with sweets and toxic substances on Thursday. Muskan is believed to have placed poison capsules inside the rasgullas and fed them to the children, who died within an hour. Police say Junaid remained at the house for nearly an hour after the incident, trying to ensure the plan had succeeded.
Muskan’s husband Wasim had left for Chandigarh just two days earlier. This window of opportunity allowed Muskan and Junaid to carry out their plan. According to the police, Muskan had earlier eloped with Junaid three years ago but was persuaded to return by family elders. Despite multiple warnings from Wasim to cut ties with Junaid, she allegedly continued the affair in secret.
Post-Mortem Unveils Truth After Initial Denial
Initially, the family refused to allow post-mortem of the children, but relented after police intervention. The bodies showed no signs of external injury, prompting further investigation. During questioning, Muskan reportedly confessed to the crime, implicating Junaid as the co-conspirator.
Police have recovered Muskan's mobile phone, which she had initially claimed was lost. The phone is expected to provide critical call data and chats that could serve as evidence.
Adding another disturbing layer, Muskan was active on social media, often sharing videos themed around jail, guns, violence, and passionate love. These videos have gone viral after her arrest, drawing public outrage.
Arhan and Anaya were buried on Friday in a grief-stricken ceremony at the village cemetery. Wasim, heartbroken, said: “She had run away once, but I forgave her for the sake of our children. I never thought she could do something like this.”
A case has been registered against Muskan and Junaid under charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. Further forensic analysis of the poison and phone data is underway.
“The Muzaffarnagar case has once again highlighted how societal pressures, emotional manipulation, and romantic obsession can drive people to commit unthinkable crimes — sometimes even against their own flesh and blood,” Sudhir Sharma, a social activist said.
