A Meerut court on Wednesday sentenced Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla to death for murdering Muskan’s husband, Saurabh Rajput, and destroying evidence in the case widely known as the “blue drum murder” case. The two were convicted on September 30, with the prosecution seeking the death penalty for both, arguing that the crime fell under the rarest of rare category.
Advocate Krishan Kumar Dubey told ANI the court had also imposed fines on both convicts, including Rs 50,000 under Section 302 and Rs 20,000 under Section 238A.
Describing the verdict as historic, Dubey said the case had drawn nationwide attention, with people closely following the court’s decision on the punishment. He said the defence had argued that no one had directly witnessed the murder and pointed to the fact that both accused had daughters. However, he maintained that the court rejected these arguments in view of the prosecution’s evidence, which he described as strong, substantial and precise enough to establish their guilt.
Dubey also referred to the psychological impact of a death sentence, saying it was possible to imagine the mental state of someone facing such a punishment.
Blue drum murder case shook the nation
The case dates back to March 2025, when Rajput, a former Merchant Navy officer, was murdered in Meerut. His dismembered remains were placed inside a blue plastic drum and covered with cement and sand. The crime came to light after the remains were discovered inside the drum. The incident drew attention because of the manner in which the body was concealed.
According to the prosecution, Rajput was murdered on March 3, 2025. Muskan and Sahil allegedly cut up his body, placed the remains in a blue drum and filled it with cement in an attempt to conceal the crime. The case came to light after the remains were found at the couple’s residence in Meerut.
The trial involved 126 hearings and statements from 22 prosecution witnesses before the court delivered its sentence on Wednesday.