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Couple Sentenced to Death in "Blue Drum Murder"
15 Oct
Summary
- A couple was sentenced to death for the 2025 murder of her husband.
- The victim's body was found in a blue plastic storage container.
- The pair used the victim's phone to deceive his family for days.
In India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a woman and her boyfriend have received death sentences for their role in a 2025 murder. Muskan Rastogi, 26, and Sahil Shukla, 28, were convicted by a court in Meerut city.
The victim, Saurabh Rajput, Rastogi's husband, was found deceased inside a large blue plastic storage container, a detail that led to the case being infamously called "the blue drum murder." The court's sentencing on Wednesday awaits confirmation from the high court, and the convicted pair have the right to appeal.
According to the prosecution, Rastogi and Shukla, who were former classmates, pursued an affair while Rajput was employed in London. Rajput had discovered their relationship in 2021 and considered divorce, but family intervention, citing their young daughter, persuaded him to stay.
The murder occurred on March 3, 2025, during Rajput's visit to Meerut. Police reports indicate Rastogi administered sedatives via food before Shukla committed the act. They then fled to Himachal Pradesh but used Rajput's phone to send messages, falsely portraying him as alive and traveling for business.
Rajput's family reported him missing after several days. Upon Rastogi's return and subsequent questioning by her own family about her husband's whereabouts, she confessed to the crime, leading to her and Shukla's arrest and charges.
Rastogi has since given birth to a second child while in custody.
