In brief
Muskan Rastogi and her boyfriend Sahil Shukla were sentenced to death for killing her husband, Saurabh Rajput, whose body was found in a blue plastic drum. The murder, occurring on 3 March 2025 in Meerut, led to a courtroom verdict on 30 September 2025. The pair, who fled to Himachal Pradesh, staged a fake freshness of the victim by using his phone to send messages to family. The death sentences await confirmation by the High Court and the accused can appeal the outcome.
In a shocking turn of events, the Uttar Pradesh High Court will confirm death sentences for Muskan Rastogi, 26, and her boyfriend Sahil Shukla, 28, after a brutal murder that left a family devastated.
The case, nicknamed the “blue drum murder,” stems from the discovery of Saurabh Rajput’s body within a large blue plastic storage container—the local designation for such drums—after a wedding visit in Meerut on 3 March 2025.
Investigators say Rajput was laced with sedatives and served while Rastogi was present. After his death, the duo fled to Himachal Pradesh, where they emulated the victim’s routine by sending messages from his phone to keep the family unaware of his disappearance.
Rastogi’s confession came after a child‑inspired interrogation that revealed the affair between the couple had begun during school years and was intensified by Rajput’s absence in London. Once detectives traced the communication trails, they arrested the pair and filed murder charges.
Both now face life on death rows while appealing. The High Court’s final decision on the sentences will signal a pivotal moment in autonomous criminal adjudication in the region.
Sources: Meerut Police; BBC Hindi; ANI News agency; BBC Vision.
