A Meerut court has sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her partner Sahil Shukla to death for the murder of Saurabh Rajput, a former Merchant Navy officer and Rastogi’s husband. The gruesome crime involved the concealment of Rajput’s dismembered body in a blue plastic drum. The court delivered its verdict on October 14, 2026, following a trial that lasted approximately 13 months and included 126 hearings and testimonies from 22 prosecution witnesses. The prosecution argued for capital punishment, asserting that the crime fell into the “rarest of rare” category.

The case first emerged in March 2025, when Rajput’s remains were discovered inside the drum at his residence in Meerut’s Brahmpuri locality. The investigation revealed a series of events leading up to the murder, which took place shortly after Rajput’s return to India from London.

Rajput, aged 35, arrived in Meerut on February 24, 2025, and was murdered on March 4. Police alleged that Rastogi and Shukla drugged Rajput before fatally stabbing him. Following the murder, they dismembered his body and placed the remains inside a drum, which was then sealed with cement. Initially, the accused considered disposing of the body in a suitcase but opted for the drum when the remains did not fit.

Timeline Of Events

On February 24-25, 2025, Saurabh Rajput returned to Meerut from London, with Rastogi celebrating her birthday the following day. The alleged murder occurred on March 4, when Rastogi and Shukla reportedly drugged Rajput, killed him, and subsequently dismembered his body. They concealed the remains in a blue drum filled with cement and sand before leaving for Himachal Pradesh.

By mid-March 2025, a foul odour emanating from the drum led to the discovery of Rajput’s remains on March 17. Following this, Rastogi and Shukla were arrested after returning from their trip to Himachal Pradesh. The pair was remanded to judicial custody on March 19, 2025, as the police began compiling evidence against them.

On May 12, 2025, police submitted a chargesheet exceeding 1,000 pages, which included around 34 witness statements and detailed the charges of murder and destruction of evidence. The trial involved the examination of 22 witnesses and spanned until September 2026, culminating in the prosecution’s request for the death penalty.

Prosecution And Sentencing

On September 30, 2026, the court found Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla guilty of murder and destruction of evidence. Following the conviction, the court scheduled the sentencing for October 14, 2026. The evidence presented included forensic reports, call detail records, and CCTV footage, alongside testimonies from family members and others connected to the case.

Notably, Rajput’s mother, Renu Devi, had vocally sought the death penalty for both accused after the conviction, expressing that the family had waited 18 months for justice. Following the verdict, she reiterated her demand for capital punishment, emphasising the severity of the crime and its impact on the family.

The investigation revealed no eyewitnesses to the murder; however, the prosecution relied heavily on the gathered evidence to build a compelling case against Rastogi and Shukla. The court’s decision to impose the death penalty reflects the gravity of the crime and the circumstances surrounding it.

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