Meerut, October 14 (TNA) A Meerut district court on Wednesday sentenced Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla to death for the murder of former Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput in the high-profile “blue drum” case.
District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra pronounced the sentence after convicting both accused on September 30 for murder and destruction of evidence. The court found that Muskan and Sahil had conspired to kill Saurabh and concealed his dismembered body inside a blue industrial drum filled with concrete and sand.
The verdict was delivered after a trial that lasted around 13 months and involved 126 hearings. The prosecution examined 22 witnesses before the court held both accused guilty. Muskan, the victim’s wife, and Sahil, described in the case as her alleged lover, appeared before the court through video conferencing from jail during the sentencing proceedings. The prosecution had sought the maximum punishment, describing the crime as exceptionally heinous.
The case came to light after Saurabh’s family raised concerns about his disappearance. Investigators later recovered his remains from the cement-filled blue drum, which became the central piece of evidence in the murder investigation.
The court’s death sentence will be subject to confirmation by the Allahabad High Court, as required under law. The convicts also have the right to challenge the verdict and sentence before higher courts.
The case had attracted nationwide attention because of the alleged conspiracy, the dismemberment of the body and its concealment in the drum. The final verdict brought the 13-month trial to a close at the district-court level.
The case had attracted nationwide attention because of the alleged conspiracy, the dismemberment of the body and its concealment in the drum. The final verdict brought the 13-month trial to a close at the district-court level.