‘Blue Drum’ Case: Muskan Rastogi, Sahil Shukla Get Death Sentence For Merchant Navy Officer’s Murder

A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut sentenced Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla to death on Wednesday for the murder of Saurabh Rajput in the ‘blue drum’ case. District and Sessions Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra pronounced the sentence nearly two years after the crime came to light.

Rajput, a Merchant Navy officer, was killed on March 3, 2025. According to the police, Muskan and Sahil dismembered his body and concealed the remains in a blue drum filled with cement. Both were subsequently arrested, and police recovered the drum containing his remains.

The two convicts appeared before the court through video conferencing from jail. Rajput’s mother, Renu Rajput, and his brother were present in court when the sentence was pronounced.

Judge Invokes Mahabharata

During the proceedings, Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra invoked the Mahabharata, observing that “punishment is also a form of dharma”.

Renu Rajput welcomed the verdict and urged couples facing relationship difficulties to choose separation rather than violence. “If you don’t want to live together, separate, but don’t kill someone’s child. For us, our child has not gone anywhere. His memories are in every corner of the house,” she said.

She also supported the death penalty for the crime. “If they commit such an act, they too will be sentenced to death,” she said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Muskan’s parents submitted a written statement to the court saying they would not oppose the death penalty if it was awarded to their daughter. Rajput’s family had also sought the maximum punishment for both convicts.

Convicts Were Anxious Before Sentencing

Senior jail superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma said Muskan and Sahil were anxious ahead of the sentencing and had struggled to sleep on Tuesday night.

According to Sharma, both ate very little at dinner on Tuesday and barely touched breakfast on Wednesday.

During the video-conferencing proceedings, the judge asked Sahil whether he had committed any offence in the past. He denied it. When asked whether he wanted to say anything about the sentence, he declined to make a statement.

Jail officials said the two had been distressed since their conviction and that their activities were being monitored. Counselling could be arranged if required.

Muskan Keeps To Herself In Jail

Sharma said Muskan had been avoiding conversations with other women inmates and preferred to remain alone, spending much of her time praying.

He said there were no CCTV cameras in the women’s barracks, and jail staff were keeping watch on her. Muskan had also expressed anxiety about her young daughter and said she wanted to meet her.

No one had visited Muskan in jail so far, Sharma said. She had been told she could write to her daughter or another person. The jail administration would provide paper and a pen, and the letter would be sent to the specified address after a security check.

Prison Arrangements After Conviction

Sharma said Muskan and Sahil would now have to wear the prescribed prison uniforms and could be assigned work under the jail manual.

Sahil could be transferred to another prison depending on requirements and availability, while Muskan could be moved to a designated women’s prison under the applicable rules.

Sharma also said prison rules did not permit the two convicts to meet.