Death for Muskan, lover Sahil Shukla

Meerut: A Meerut court on Wednesday sentenced Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla to death for the murder of Muskan’s husband, Saurabh Rajput, in the infamous "blue drum murder" case. Both were convicted on September 30 for murdering Rajput, a former Merchant Navy officer, and destroying evidence. The prosecution had sought the death penalty for both, describing the crime as falling in the rarest of rare category.

The case dates back to March 2025, when Rajput was murdered in Meerut. His dismembered remains were concealed in a blue plastic drum filled with cement and sand. The crime came to light after the remains were discovered inside the drum. The trial involved 126 hearings and statements from 22 prosecution witnesses.

Both the accused attended the court proceedings through video conferencing, while both their families were present inside the court.

Advocate Krishan Kumar Dubey called the verdict “historic”, saying both convicts had been sentenced to death and fined Rs 50,000 under Section 302 and Rs 20,000 under Section 238A.

Dubey said the defence had argued that no one had witnessed the murder and that both accused had daughters. However, he said, these arguments were set aside because the prosecution’s evidence was “so strong, significant, and precise” that it conclusively established their guilt.

“The primary basis was the nature of the murder itself,” he said, describing it as a “meticulously planned conspiracy”. He added that the death penalty was appropriate for such a premeditated crime.

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The Hans India