In brief
Indian authorities have handed down death sentences to Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla following a conviction for the 2025 murder of her husband, Saurabh Rajput. The case, known locally as the 'blue drum' murder, involved Rajput’s body being found in a large blue plastic container. Prosecutors claimed the couple lured and sedated him before killing him while Rajput was on a business visit to Meerut. The verdict remains subject to high‑court confirmation, and both defendants may seek to appeal.
Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find distressing.
A 26‑year‑old woman and her 28‑year‑old boyfriend have been sentenced to death for murdering the woman’s husband in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state.
Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla were convicted on 30 September in a Meerut court for the 2025 killing of Saurabh Rajput, whose body was recovered from a large blue plastic storage container, a detail that gave the case its nickname.
The prosecution argued that the couple, classmates during school, had become intimate after Rajput, who worked in London, discovered their affair in 2021. Rajput had sought a divorce, but the couple’s family urged him to stay due to their young daughter.
According to police, Rajput was supplied with food laced with sedatives by Rastogi before he was killed on 3 March 2025 while visiting Meerut. Following the murder, the pair fled to Himachal Pradesh but continued to falsify messages from Rajput’s phone, making it appear he was still alive and traveling for business.
After a family complaint about the missing husband, Rastogi returned home on 17 March and initially blamed her in‑laws for the death. After police questioned her, she confessed to the crime, leading to both her and Shukla’s arrest.
Rastogi’s parents have called for “strict action” and stated that she poses a danger to society. While the murderers’ death sentences await confirmation by the high court, they retain the right to appeal the verdict.
Rastogi gave birth to a second child while incarcerated.
(Image: Meerut Police)
