Meerut Blue Drum Murder Case: Court Convicts Muskan Rastogi, Sahil Shukla After 13-Month Trial

A Meerut district court on Wednesday convicted Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla for the murder of merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput, bringing the sensational “Blue Drum” case to the end of a 13-month trial marked by 126 hearings.

District Judge Arvind Mishra held the two guilty of murdering Rajput and subsequently attempting to conceal his body. The court, however, did not announce the punishment on Wednesday. The two convicts have been given 15 days to make their submissions on the sentence, following which the court will pass its order.

Government counsel Krishna Kumar Chaubey said the prosecution had sought the maximum punishment, citing the nature of the crime. He said the court was legally competent to award the death penalty, but stressed that the final decision on the sentence rested with the judge.

“There is no place in a civilised society for such crimes,” Judge Mishra observed while delivering the verdict.

The case dates back to March 3, 2025, when Rajput was allegedly killed at a house in Meerut. According to the prosecution, Muskan and Sahil killed him, dismembered the body and concealed the remains inside a blue drum, which was later filled with cement. The remains were subsequently discovered, leading to the investigation and arrest of the two accused around 15 days after the incident.

The prosecution built its case through 22 witnesses, including people linked to the purchase of the drum, cement, knife and other articles. Medicine sellers, hotel managers, cab drivers and others were also examined, while hotel and travel records were presented to establish the movements of the accused.

The police chargesheet ran to around 1,000 pages. The trial began in July 2025, while final arguments concluded on September 17. Two days later, the court fixed September 30 for the verdict.

Muskan and Sahil appeared virtually from jail when the verdict was pronounced. Rajput’s mother and brother were present in court.

The sentencing stage will now determine the punishment. Rajput’s family has demanded stringent action against the two convicts.