A Meerut court on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, delivered a landmark verdict in the infamous 'Blue Drum Murder Case,' sentencing Muskan Rastogi and her boyfriend, Sahil Shukla, to death. The duo were found guilty of murdering Muskan's husband, Saurabh Rajput, in March 2025. District and Sessions Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra pronounced the sentence after their conviction on September 30, 2026.
During the sentencing, Judge Mishra invoked the Mahabharata, emphasizing the role of punishment in maintaining societal order. Both convicts appeared via video conferencing from jail, while Saurabh's mother, Renu Rajput, and brother were present in court. Notably, Muskan's parents submitted a written statement indicating they would not oppose the death penalty for their daughter.
Details of the Gruesome Crime
Saurabh Rajput, 29, was a former Merchant Navy employee who later worked as a sales manager in London. He married Muskan in 2016 after they eloped, and the couple had a daughter. According to the prosecution, Saurabh returned to Meerut from London on February 24, 2025, to celebrate family birthdays.
On March 3, Muskan allegedly mixed an intoxicating substance into Saurabh's food, rendering him unconscious. Sahil then reportedly arrived at their home, where the two fatally stabbed Saurabh and dismembered his body. To conceal the heinous crime, the remains were placed inside a blue plastic drum, which was then filled with cement, sand, and water.
The murder came to light on March 17, 2025, when suspicious relatives visited the house, leading police to recover the remains from the drum.
Evidence Leading to Conviction
Throughout the trial, the prosecution presented a compelling array of circumstantial, forensic, and technical evidence. Shopkeepers testified about selling items crucial to the crime, including the blue drum, cement, sand, and cutting tools. Call detail records and mobile tower locations were also pivotal in establishing Sahil’s presence at the scene and tracing the accused’s movements, including their attempt to flee to Himachal Pradesh.
Historical Context of Capital Punishment in India
The sentencing of Muskan Rastogi brings into focus the rare instance of a woman being condemned to death in India. Ratanbai Jain was reportedly the last woman executed in India, on January 3, 1955, at Tihar Jail in Delhi, for murdering three girls. Since then, no woman has been executed.
Another prominent case is that of Shabnam, who was sentenced to death in 2010 for murdering seven members of her family in Uttar Pradesh in 2008. While her sentence was upheld by the Allahabad High Court in 2013 and the Supreme Court in 2015, she has not yet been executed.