Muskan Rastogi, her lover Sahil Shukla sentenced to death in blue drum murder case
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TNN
A Meerut court has sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her lover, Sahil Shukla, to death for the 2025 murder of her husband, Saurabh Rajput. The victim was drugged, dismembered, and concealed in a cement-filled blue drum. The court classified the case as 'rarest of rare,' concluding a high-profile trial that involved 126 hearings.
The Blue Drum Murder: A Judicial Conclusion
The judicial process concerning the brutal murder of merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput has reached a definitive conclusion. A Meerut district court has sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her partner, Sahil Shukla, to death for the cold-blooded execution of the victim. The case, colloquially known as the 'Blue Drum' murder, shocked the public due to the calculated nature of the crime and the gruesome method used to conceal the victim's remains.
The Sequence of Events
The tragedy began shortly after Saurabh Rajput returned from London to Meerut in February 2025. According to court records, the perpetrators orchestrated the murder on March 4, 2025. After drugging the victim into an unconscious state, Rastogi and Shukla stabbed Rajput to death and subsequently dismembered his body. To evade detection, they placed the remains into a blue plastic drum, filling the container with cement and sand to create an improvised tomb within their home before fleeing to Himachal Pradesh.
Legal Proceedings and the Rarest of Rare Doctrine
The trial was extensive, spanning 126 hearings and relying on the testimonies of 22 witnesses to piece together the sequence of events. On September 30, 2026, the court found both defendants guilty of murder. By October 14, 2026, the court handed down the death penalty, aligning with the prosecution’s argument that the premeditated, gruesome nature of the dismemberment and the cold-blooded concealment qualified this as one of the 'rarest of rare' cases in Indian jurisprudence, a threshold required for capital punishment.
The Human Element and Public Impact
The emotional toll of the case has been profound, particularly for the victim's family. Renu Rajput, the mother of the deceased, publicly expressed her anguish following the conviction, questioning the motive behind the betrayal. The case has also been marked by disturbing allegations regarding the involvement of occult practices, adding a layer of sensationalism that has kept the public and media deeply engaged throughout the proceedings.
Broader Implications
This verdict serves as a significant deterrent against violent domestic crimes. The swift, albeit complex, legal action taken by the Meerut judiciary underscores the state's intolerance for such extreme acts of violence. As the legal system concludes this chapter, the focus shifts to the finality of the sentencing and the potential for appeals, which are standard in capital cases. The 'Blue Drum' murder remains a grim reminder of the volatility hidden behind the veneer of domestic life and the relentless pursuit of justice through the judicial system.
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