Meerut blue drum murder: Muskan Rastogi and partner handed death penalty as child's future hangs

A Meerut sessions court has sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her partner Sahil Shukla to death for the premeditated killing and dismemberment of her husband, merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput.

District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra termed the crime "extremely cruel and grave" while pronouncing capital punishment. The judgment brings closure to a case that gripped the state, concluding after an efficient 13-month trial comprising 126 hearings and the examination of 22 prosecution witnesses.

The murder took place on 3 March 2025. Rajput's body was dismembered and sealed inside a blue plastic drum packed with cement at the couple's home. The crime came to light nearly two weeks later. Police investigators pieced together forensic evidence, tracked movements using cab records and hotel registers, and traced the local purchase of the drum and materials to secure a swift conviction.

Following the verdict, the two convicts were assigned formal prisoner numbers at Meerut district jail — 395/2026 for Shukla and 396/2026 for Rastogi. Both broke down upon hearing the sentence, skipped dinner, and were placed under medical observation and counselling, prison officials confirmed.

Questions over infant daughter's custody

The capital sentence has brought immediate focus to the fate of Rastogi's 10-month-old daughter, Radha, who was born in prison on 24 November last year and has remained in the women's barrack ever since. Under prison regulations, children are permitted to stay with an incarcerated mother until they turn six.

Senior Jail Superintendent Dr Viresh Raj Sharma confirmed that the infant's living arrangements will not alter immediately, as the execution of the death sentence remains subject to the statutory appellate process.

"The convicts have the option of appealing before the high court and the Supreme Court, followed by filing mercy petitions before the governor and the president," Sharma said. If private counsel is not engaged, prison authorities will initiate the high court reference within 30 days.

Longer-term custody arrangements remain complicated:

Rajput's mother, Renu Devi, welcomed the death sentence but stated the family does not intend to seek custody of Radha. The victim's family had previously sought a DNA test to confirm the infant's paternity, which has not yet been conducted. Devi indicated the family would, however, be open to caring for Rastogi's elder daughter, seven-year-old Pihu, should her maternal grandparents consent.