Meerut court convicts Muskan Rastogi, Sahil Shukla in Saurabh Rajput murder case

A Meerut court convicted Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla in the murder of merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput. The court will hear submissions on sentencing before announcing the punishment. The prosecution has sought the maximum penalty for the accused

Meerut: The Meerut district court on Wednesday held Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla guilty of murdering merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput in the sensational “Blue Drum” murder case, bringing the trial to an end after 13 months and 126 hearings.

The court will announce its order on the punishment after 15 days.

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Government counsel Krishna Kumar Chaubey said the court, while convicting the two, referred to a Supreme Court order stressing strict punishment in serious crime cases.

“The court has held Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla guilty of the murder of Saurabh Rajput and, while referring to a Supreme Court order, observed that perpetrators of such heinous and serious crimes should receive appropriate punishment so that a message goes out in society that the rule of law prevails,” Chaubey told reporters.

Sahil and Muskan joined the hearing virtually from a local jail where they are lodged. The counsel said the next stage would concern the quantum of sentence and that the two convicts would be allowed to present their submissions before the court.

“This is the beauty of our legal system that even an accused is given an opportunity to present his or her version before the court in relation to the sentence,” Chaubey said.

He said the court is competent to award the death penalty, but the final decision on the punishment rests with the judge.

The prosecution has sought the maximum punishment for the accused, citing the nature of the crime and the evidence presented during the trial.

According to Chaubey, the prosecution examined 22 witnesses, including those connected with the purchase of the blue drum, which has since become a key piece of evidence in the case.

“The 22 witnesses who were useful for proving our prosecution case were examined. These included the medicine seller, the person from whom the drum was purchased, the person from whom cement was purchased and the person connected with the purchase of the knife and utensils,” he said.

Hotel managers were examined, along with records, to establish the accused persons’ stays at different locations, while cab drivers were questioned about their movements, he said.

The case relates to the March 2025 killing of Saurabh Rajput, Muskan’s husband, in Meerut.

The prosecution alleged that Rajput’s body was dismembered and concealed inside a blue drum, which was later filled with cement.

The case came to light after the remains were discovered at the couple’s house. Muskan and Sahil, her lover, were subsequently arrested.

The final arguments concluded on September 17, following which the court fixed September 30 for the verdict.

Chaubey said Sahil and Muskan appeared “mentally prepared” for conviction, with a “defeated” look on their faces.

The sentencing proceedings will now determine the punishment.

The court will hear the accused on the question of sentence before passing its final order.