Meerut ‘blue drum’ murder case: Court sentences victim’s wife Muskan Rastogi and her partner to death

Image is for representational purposes only. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

A Meerut court on Wednesday (October 14, 2026) sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her partner Sahil Shukla to death for the murder of Saurabh Rajput, Rastogi’s husband, whose dismembered remains were recovered from a cement-filled blue plastic drum in March 2025.

District and Sessions Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra pronounced the sentence after convicting the duo of murder and destruction of evidence.

Also read | Meerut murder case: Relatives of deceased allege involvement in ‘occult practices’

The case, which attracted widespread attention due to the brutality of the crime, saw more than 100 hearings and 22 prosecution witnesses.

Prosecution lawyer KK Chaubey told reporters that the judge referred to the Mahabharata while explaining the sentence, noting that justice demands punishment commensurate with the gravity of the crime.

Apart from the death sentence, the court imposed fines totaling ₹70,000 on each of those convicted for the murder and the offense related to the disappearance of evidence, Mr. Chaubey said.

The two accused, who were participating in the hearing via video conference, reportedly broke down after the verdict was announced. Lawyers present in the courtroom distributed sweets after the announcement.

A detailed court order is awaited.

Rajput, 35, an officer in the merchant navy, returned to Meerut from London in late February 2025. His family approached the police after not following him for several days.

According to the investigation, the police found his remains from a drum in the house where he lived with Rastogi. The couple’s six-year-old daughter reportedly pointed to the container when asked where her father was.

Police alleged that Rastogi and Shukla drugged Rajput before stabbing him to death and dismembering his body. The remains were placed in a drum and sealed with cement and sand. The accused had reportedly gone on holiday to Himachal Pradesh after the killing.

Police used industrial equipment to break through the hardened cement and retrieve the remains.

In May 2025, a nearly 1,000-page indictment containing court reports, call records, CCTV footage and witness statements was filed in court, accusing the duo of the crime.

Rastogi later gave birth to a baby girl in prison. She was pregnant at the time of the crime.

Published – 14 Oct 2026 16:49 IST