The “Blue Drum Murder”: Wife and Lover Sentenced to Death for Killing Her Husband in India

A murder case that shocked India has reached a major turning point after a court sentenced a woman and her lover to death for killing her husband and concealing his dismembered remains inside a blue plastic drum filled with cement.

Muskan Rastogi, 26, and Sahil Shukla, 28, were sentenced on October 14, 2026, in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, after being convicted of murdering Saurabh Rajput, a 35-year-old former merchant navy officer. The case became widely known as the “Blue Drum Murder” because of the way the victim’s body was concealed.

A relationship that ended in tragedy

According to reports cited by PEOPLE, Muskan and Saurabh married in 2016 and had a daughter together. Muskan had reportedly rekindled her relationship with Shukla, whom she had known since school, while Saurabh was working in London.

Investigators said the relationship and growing tensions preceded the killing. According to the prosecution, the pair planned the crime before carrying it out in March 2025.

The discovery that exposed the crime

On March 4, 2025, Saurabh returned to the couple’s home in Meerut. Investigators alleged that Muskan and Shukla drugged him before stabbing him to death.

The pair then dismembered his body and placed the remains inside a blue plastic drum, which they filled with a cement mixture in an attempt to conceal the crime.

The remains were discovered around 15 days later after police received information about a foul smell coming from the residence. The discovery prompted an investigation that ultimately led to the arrests of Muskan and Shukla on March 18, 2025.

Court delivers death sentences

After a lengthy trial involving 22 prosecution witnesses, the court convicted the pair of murder and destruction of evidence on September 30, 2026. On October 14, the court sentenced both defendants to death.

The verdict brought a significant development in a case that had drawn widespread attention because of the brutality of the killing and the unusual method used to conceal the victim’s remains.

However, the death sentences are not necessarily the final stage of the legal process. Under Indian law, a death sentence imposed by a trial court must be reviewed and confirmed by a higher court before it can be carried out.

For Saurabh’s family, the ruling marked a major moment in their pursuit of justice after losing a loved one in deeply disturbing circumstances.

Source: PEOPLE