Meerut Blue Drum Murder Case: Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla Convicted of Saurabh Rajput’s Murder

September 30, 2026

Meerut: In a major development in the sensational Meerut “blue drum” murder case, a Uttar Pradesh court on Wednesday convicted Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla in the murder of Muskan’s husband, Saurabh Rajput. The case had gone through around 126 hearings, with more than 22 witnesses examined during the trial.

Before pronouncing the verdict, the judge addressed Muskan and asked her how she felt about the day of the judgment.

“Today is the day of the verdict. Muskan, what do you think? We have done what we had to do. What do you feel today? The sentence is not being pronounced today. Tell me, what do you think?” the judge said.

The judge then observed that crime creates an atmosphere of fear in society before announcing the verdict.

After a brief break, the court declared both Muskan and Sahil guilty in the murder case. The conviction determines their guilt; the quantum of sentence is a separate stage of the proceedings. Reports before the verdict said the prosecution had sought the death penalty for both accused.

What is the Meerut Blue Drum Murder Case?

The case relates to the killing of Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput in Meerut. His remains were later found concealed inside a blue drum at his residence, leading to the case being widely referred to as the “blue drum” murder case. Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla were accused in the case.

The trial continued for around 13 months, with the prosecution and defence presenting their respective arguments before the Meerut district court. Final arguments were completed on September 17, after which the court fixed September 30 for the verdict.

Sentence to Be Decided Separately

The court has now convicted both accused. The next stage will concern the sentence to be imposed. The prosecution had sought the maximum punishment, while the defence had argued its case before the court during the trial.