In brief
In a high‑profile case in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, 26‑year‑old Muskan Rastogi and 28‑year‑old Sahil Shukla were convicted and sentenced to death for murdering Muskan’s husband, Saurabh Rajput. Rajput’s body was discovered in a large blue plastic drum, giving the case its name. The pair allegedly laced his food with sedatives, fled to Himachal Pradesh and continued a ruse, pretending he was alive. Their death sentences now await confirmation by the high court, but they may still appeal.
A warning: some of this story may be intense.
In September 2024 a court in Meerut found 26‑year‑old Muskan Rastogi and 28‑year‑old Sahil Shukla guilty of murdering Muskan’s husband, Saurabh Rajput, and sentenced them to death. Rajput’s body was recovered from a large blue plastic storage container – a drum – which led to the case being dubbed the “blue drum murder.”
According to prosecutors, the two were classmates who grew close after Rajput, who worked in London, began to suspect an affair. When Rajput found out in 2021 he wanted a divorce, but family pressure kept the couple together because they had a young daughter.
On 3 March 2025 Rajput was taken to a hotel in Meerut, where Rastogi fed him a meal laced with sedatives. He was then killed and left in the blue drum. After the murder the pair fled to Himachal Pradesh and used Rajput’s phone to text his family, convincing them he was still alive and traveling for business.
A few weeks later Rajput’s family reported him missing. When Rastogi returned to Meerut, her six‑year‑old daughter asked about the missing father. Rashogi confessed to police, and both she and Shukla were arrested.
The death sentences await confirmation from the high court, but both defendants have the right to appeal. The case is a stark reminder of how domestic disputes can turn deadly and serves as a somber headline in India’s news cycle today.
