Meerut blue drum murder case: Muskaan Rastogi, Sahil Shukla sentenced to death

A Meerut court on Wednesday sentenced Muskaan Rastogi and her lover, Sahil Shukla, to death for the murder of Muskaan’s husband, Saurabh Rajput, in the infamous blue drum murder case.

The sentence follows the court’s September 30 verdict convicting the two of murdering Rajput, a former Merchant Navy officer, and attempting to conceal the crime by hiding his dismembered body inside a blue plastic drum filled with cement and sand.

District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra delivered the conviction after a trial spanning around 13 months and 126 hearings. The prosecution examined 22 witnesses, presenting circumstantial, technical and physical evidence to establish the case against the two accused.

Murder and concealment of the body

The murder took place in March 2025 at the couple’s home in Meerut. According to the prosecution, Muskaan sedated Rajput by mixing a substance into his food before Shukla arrived. The two allegedly stabbed him to death and dismembered his body in the bathroom.

They then placed the body parts inside a large blue plastic drum and filled it with a mixture of cement, sand and water before sealing it, investigators said. The method was allegedly intended to conceal the remains and suppress the smell of decomposition.

The case came to light on March 17, 2025, when suspicious relatives visited the residence and the authorities discovered Rajput’s remains inside the drum. Muskaan and Shukla were arrested following the discovery and remained in custody during the trial.

Evidence presented during the trial

The prosecution relied on a chain of circumstantial and forensic evidence to establish the involvement of the two convicts. Local shopkeepers testified about selling items, including the blue drum, cement, sand, cleavers and razors, to the accused before the murder.

Call detail records and mobile tower locations were also presented to place Shukla at the residence around the time of the crime. Investigators traced the movements of Muskaan and Shukla to hotel stays in Shimla and Manali after the murder.

According to the prosecution, the two travelled to Himachal Pradesh after the killing. Muskaan allegedly used Rajput’s mobile phone to send messages to his family, creating the impression that he was alive and travelling for work.

The prosecution sought the maximum punishment, citing the nature of the crime and the evidence presented during the proceedings.

Case drew widespread attention

The murder attracted widespread attention because of the manner in which Rajput’s body was allegedly dismembered and concealed in the cement-filled drum. The case became widely known as the Meerut blue drum murder case.

During the September 30 conviction proceedings, the court observed that crimes of this nature create fear in society. The prosecution also referred to the need for appropriate punishment in serious offences to uphold the rule of law.

Before the sentencing, Muskaan and Shukla were given an opportunity to present their submissions on the punishment. The court subsequently pronounced the death sentence on Wednesday.