Meerut 'Blue Drum' murder case: Court awards death penalty to victim's wife, her partner

MEERUT (UP): A Meerut court on Wednesday awarded death penalty to Muskan Rastogi and her partner Sahil Shukla for the murder of her husband Saurabh Rajput, a merchant navy officer, in the sensational blue drum case.

District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra pronounced the sentence, court officials said. Both Muskan and Sahil were produced before the court through video conferencing.

The court had convicted the two on September 30 for the murder and for attempting to conceal Rajput's body. The verdict came after 126 hearings during a 13-month trial.

According to the prosecution, Rajput was killed on March 3, 2025. Muskan and Sahil allegedly dismembered his body and placed the remains inside a blue drum, which was subsequently filled with cement to conceal the crime. The case came to light after the remains were discovered at the couple's house in Meerut.

The prosecution examined 22 witnesses during the trial, including people connected with the purchase of the drum, a knife and other material allegedly used in the crime.

Hotel managers and cab drivers were also examined to establish the movements of the accused, while records relating to their stays at different locations were presented before the court.