In brief
A 26‑year‑old woman and her 28‑year‑old boyfriend received death sentences for the 2025 murder of her husband, whose body was recovered from a blue plastic drum in Meerut. The couple, Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, were convicted on 30 September after a trial that revealed an affair, a sedated diet, and a staged disappearance. Their sentences must be confirmed by the high court, but the case has already sparked widespread outrage and discussion of the death penalty in India.
Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find distressing.
An Indian couple has been handed death sentences after a brutal murder that shocked the state of Uttar Pradesh. Muskan Rastogi, 26, and her boyfriend Sahil Shukla, 28, were convicted on 30 September in Meerut city for the murder of Rastogi’s husband Saurabh Rajput, 39, whose body was recovered from a large blue plastic storage container – a find that gave the case its grim nickname, the “blue drum murder”.
According to prosecutors, the pair had been classmates and grew close when Rajput was working in London. When Rajput learned of the affair in 2021, he initially sought a divorce but was persuaded against it by family concerns over their young daughter. The prosecution claimed Rajput was fed food laced with sedatives by Rastogi before he was killed on 3 March 2025 during a visit to Meerut.
After the murder, Shukla and Rastogi fled to Himachal Pradesh, using Rajput’s mobile phone to send messages that made it appear he was still alive and travelling for business. A few days later, Rajput’s family lodged a missing‑person complaint, prompting a police investigation that uncovered the body in the blue drum.
Rastogi was arrested after she returned to her parents’ home in early March, where her six‑year‑old daughter asked about a missing father. When Rastogi blamed her in‑laws for the murder, her family took her to the police station, where she confessed and was subsequently charged with first‑degree murder.
The court’s verdict was delivered on a Wednesday and must be confirmed by the high court, but both Rastogi and Shukla have the option to appeal. Their case has already ignited heated debate across India about the use of the death penalty in the country’s criminal justice system.
Rastogi has since given birth to a second child while in jail. Her parents and family have called for strict action and have expressed that their daughter is not fit for society. The case remains a stark reminder of the severe consequences that can follow domestic betrayal and violence.
