Meerut blue drum case: 13 months, 126 hearings, 1 death sentence – how 1,000-page evidence doomed Muskan and Sahil’s fate

On October 14, District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her partner Sahil Shukla to death for killing Muskan’s husband Saurabh Rajput, who was a former Merchant Navy officer.

New Delhi: Following a grueling 13-month trial, 126 hearings and testimony from over 22 witnesses, justice has been handed down in the sensational Meerut 'blue drum' murder case.

On October 14, District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her partner Sahil Shukla to death for killing Muskan’s husband Saurabh Rajput, who was a former Merchant Navy officer. The sentencing was pronounced after the convictions of the duo on September 30.

The police discovered Saurabh’s dismembered remains in a blue drum sealed with cement at a house in Meerut’s Indra Nagar area in March 2025. Investigators subsequently filed a chargesheet running to nearly 1,000 pages. It argued that the killing was planned and sought the death penalty for both convicts.

From London return to blue drum discovery

Saurabh returned to Meerut from London on February 24, 2025. The family celebrated Muskan’s birthday the next day. According to the prosecution, the murder took place on March 3 or 4, when Muskan allegedly sedated him through his food before Sahil arrived. The two allegedly stabbed him to death, cut his body into pieces and packed the remains in a blue drum filled with cement.

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The killing came to light after Muskan allegedly disclosed details to relatives. Family members became suspicious and approached the authorities. On March 17, the police and relatives opened the sealed drum at the Indra Nagar residence and recovered his mortal remains.

Muskan and Sahil were arrested on March 18. A court remanded them to 14 days of judicial custody the following day. The discovery led to the arrests and a trial that lasted 13 months.

Nearly 1,000 pages of evidence

The police filed a nearly 1,000-page chargesheet on May 12, 2025, citing statements from around 34 witnesses. The trial began in a Meerut district court in July that year.

Over the course of the proceedings, the prosecution presented evidence and examined witnesses to establish its case against the two accused. More than 22 witnesses testified, and the court held 126 hearings before delivering its verdict.

On October 14, the prosecution sought capital punishment, arguing that the murder had been planned and was exceptionally brutal. Saurabh’s family had also pleaded for death penalty. The defence asked the court to impose a lesser sentence and cited the circumstances of the convicts’ families, including the age of their parents. But the went ahead with the death sentence.

It also imposed fines of Rs 50,000 under Section 302 and Rs 20,000 under Section 238A.

What happens after the death sentence?

The sentence does not automatically lead to an execution. A death sentence awarded by a sessions court is challenged in the high court. Muskan and Sahil can challenge their convictions and sentences through the appellate process, including an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Further legal remedies, such as review and mercy petitions, may also be available under the applicable procedure.

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The high court’s decision is a required stage in a death-penalty case. It will examine the trial court’s decision before deciding whether to confirm the sentence. The legal process can therefore continue after the district court’s order.

Muskan’s death sentence also makes the case one of the rare instances in India in which a woman has been sentenced to death.

Other murder cases involving alleged partners

The Meerut case has been compared with other high-profile murder investigations in which the police accused people close to the victims of involvement in the killings. The cases are at different stages of the legal process, and allegations in an investigation must be distinguished from findings reached by a court.

In Meghalaya, Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi was found dead during his honeymoon in 2025. His wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, and alleged accomplices were accused of conspiring to kill him. Cancelling her bail in July this year, the Supreme Court said she would have to return to jail within three weeks.

Another case is the death of Ketan Agarwal at Lohagad Fort in Maharashtra in June 2026. The police allege that his fiancée, Siya Goyal, and Chetan Chaudhary conspired to push him from a cliff. Both were arrested, and investigators later arrested another person over an alleged role in the conspiracy.

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