Meerut ‘blue drum’ case: Wife and her lover convicted for Saurabh Rajput’s murder

Judge reserves order on quantum of sentence after concluding the trial; investigating officers appear before court and present evidence related to the case

MEERUT A district court in Meerut on Wednesday convicted Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla for the murder of her husband and merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput, whose body was found hidden inside a blue drum in a case that shocked the region. They were found guilty of murder, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.

Police take away Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput’s wife Muskan and her lover Sahil Shukla after they were arrested in connection with his murder. (PTI file Photo)

District and sessions judge Arvind Kumar Mishra reserved the order on the quantum of sentence after concluding the trial and hearing final arguments from both sides.

The murder had drawn widespread attention after the prosecution alleged that Rajput’s body was cut into pieces and placed inside a large blue plastic drum before being sealed with cement. The prosecution case rested primarily on circumstantial, medical, forensic and other scientific evidence.

According to district government counsel (DGC) Krishna Kumar Chaubey, the two accused, who are lodged in Meerut district jail, were produced before the court through video conferencing amid tight security arrangements. A large number of lawyers were present on the court premises during the proceedings.

Around 4.30pm, when judge Arvind Mishra reached the courtroom, the video-conferencing proceedings for Muskan and Sahil were initiated from the district jail. The judge asked Muskan to raise her hand and asked what she felt on the day of the verdict. Muskan replied: “We have done what we had to do.” When questioned further, she said: “I have nothing to say.”

While pronouncing the verdict, the judge observed that such a crime creates an atmosphere of fear in society, informed the DGC.

According to prosecution, Saurabh, a resident of Indira Nagar, was working in London and returned to his Meerut home on February 24, 2025. The prosecution alleged that after his return, his presence became an obstacle to the relationship between his wife Muskan and Sahil, prompting the two to hatch a conspiracy to kill him.

Prosecution lawyer Vijay Bahadur Singh claimed that on the night of March 3, 2025, a sedative was mixed in Saurabh’s food. After he became unconscious, Sahil was called to the house. The two allegedly attacked Saurabh with sharp-edged weapons, resulting in his death.

Police said after the murder, the body was cut into pieces as part of an attempt to dispose it of and destroy evidence. The accused allegedly purchased a large blue plastic grain-storage drum, cement, sand and dust.

The prosecution alleged that the body parts were wrapped in polythene and placed inside the drum, after which cement slurry was poured over them to seal the remains. The accused subsequently travelled to Shimla and Manali, according to the prosecution.

The defence argued that there was no eyewitness to the murder and that the accused had been falsely implicated because of a property dispute. The prosecution, however, relied on the police investigation and medical and forensic evidence to establish its case.

Investigating police officers appeared before the court and presented evidence related to the case. The medical evidence included the testimony of Dr Dinesh Singh Chauhan, who conducted Saurabh’s post-mortem examination. According to the prosecution, the post-mortem findings showed that Saurabh died of excessive blood loss and shock.

The case was registered on March 18, 2025, on a complaint filed by Saurabh’s brother. Police subsequently arrested Muskan and Sahil. According to the police, the body encased in cement inside the blue drum was recovered from the house on March 19.

The trial saw statements from 22 prosecution witnesses and around 125 hearings. District government counsel Krishna Kumar Chaubey said the then district judge had ordered day-to-day proceedings considering the seriousness of the case. Final arguments by both sides were completed before Wednesday’s conviction.

Saurabh’s family had sought stringent punishment for the accused. His elder brother Rahul had earlier said the family wanted nothing less than death penalty. He said the family had remained under considerable mental distress throughout the proceedings.

Saurabh’s mother, Renu Devi, had also expressed faith in the judicial system and administration and said she expected justice for her son.

CASE TIMELINE

FEB 24, 2025 Saurabh returned from London to Meerut. According to the prosecution, he was murdered on the night of March 3. The body was allegedly cut into pieces and sealed in cement inside a blue drum on March 4, after which the accused reportedly travelled to Shimla and Manali.

MAR 18 A case was registered on the complaint of Saurabh’s brother, and police recovered the cement-encased body and arrested both accused on March 19.

SEPT 30, 2026 Meerut district court convicted Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla of murder, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy and reserved its order on the sentence.