Meerut, 19 October 2026 : In the 'Blue Drum Case' of the murder of Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, the court has awarded death sentence to both the main accused. This historic decision of the court has seen a unique protest and support in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The court's decision has been welcomed by local youth who hanged symbolic effigies of the accused Muskaan and Sahil near the Durga Puja pandal in Simaria area of Gorakhpur.
This brutal massacre that took place in Meerut in March 2025 shocked the entire country. Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput (35 years) was brutally murdered by his own wife Muskaan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla. Saurabh had a love marriage with Muskaan in 2016 and he used to work in London. Muskaan had immoral relations with his old friend Sahil Shukla. On 24 February 2025, Saurabh came from London to celebrate the birthday of his wife and 6 year old daughter. Muska, who was becoming an obstacle in the relationship, was murdered by giving intoxicating pills along with her lover Sahil on the night of March 3, 2025. After that, the dead body was cut into pieces, filled in a blue drum and sealed with cement. After the murder, both of them had gone to Shimla, Manali and Kasol of Himachal Pradesh. On March 18, 2025, the police arrested both of them and exposed this gruesome murder.
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Court awarded death penalty
District and Sessions Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra, who is hearing this case, declared his wife Muskaan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla guilty and sentenced them to death on 14 October 2026. The court has awarded death sentence under section 103(1) and 3(5) of BNS along with 7 years imprisonment and fine for hiding the evidence. During the hearing, the statements of 22 witnesses and digital evidence were used as the basis.
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Protest against hanging symbolic effigy in Durga Puja pandal
The youth have installed an electrically operated statue of Maa Durga near the Chowk in Simaria area of Gorakhpur, which is a center of attraction in this area. A large number of people come here for darshan. To express people's anger over this horrific crime and to support the decision of the judiciary, the youth of the committee made effigies of Muskaan and Sahil and hanged them in public. Local people believe that those who commit such heinous crimes should be given the harshest punishment so that an example is set in the society.