Key Highlights
- The sentence: A Meerut district court sentenced Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla to death.
- The crime: They were convicted on September 30 of murdering Saurabh Rajput in March 2025 and concealing his body.
- The trial: 126 hearings over about 13 months, with 22 prosecution testimonies.
- The evidence: Circumstantial, technical and physical evidence, including shop records and phone location data.
- Next step: A death sentence by a trial court must be confirmed by the High Court.
A district court in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday sentenced Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla to death in the case widely known as the “Blue Drum murder case.” The court had, on September 30, convicted both of murdering Muskan’s husband, Saurabh Rajput, and concealing his body.
According to the police investigation, Rajput was sedated and killed at his home on March 3, 2025, and his body was concealed in a plastic drum sealed with cement.
How the Case Was Proved
Prosecutor Vijay Bahadur said the case rested on circumstantial evidence presented in sequence. “We had presented 22 testimonies on different occasions... All the testimonies corroborated the prosecution’s case,” he had said after the conviction.
| Evidence | What it showed |
|---|---|
| Shopkeepers’ testimony | The accused had bought the drum, cement, sand and blades before the murder |
| Call records and tower locations | Placed Shukla at the house at the time of the crime |
| Travel records | Traced the duo’s joint hotel stays in Shimla and Manali after the crime |
The case reached court on March 17, 2025, and was transferred to the District Judge’s court in July 2025. Arguments continued for about 13 months across 126 hearings.
The Family’s Demand
Rajput’s elder brother, Rahul, had earlier told IANS that the family wanted only justice. “Whatever they did to my brother, the same should happen to them,” he said.
Why It Matters: What Happens After a Death Sentence
A death sentence from a trial court is not the final word. Under Indian law, it must be confirmed by the High Court before it can be carried out. The convicts can also appeal to the High Court and, after that, to the Supreme Court, and can seek mercy from the Governor or the President.
Courts in India award the death penalty only in the “rarest of rare” cases, a standard set by the Supreme Court. The High Court will now examine whether this case meets that test. The legal process could therefore take considerable time before the sentence becomes final.
The Bottom Line
After 126 hearings, the Meerut court has handed down the maximum punishment. For Saurabh Rajput’s family, it is a major step towards justice, but the case now moves to the High Court for confirmation.
With inputs from IANS.