Stories
Blue Drum Murder: Conviction Alone Not Enough for Death Penalty; Judges Face Many Questions.
- •Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil were found guilty of murdering her husband Saurabh Rajput in Meerut.
- •The culprits dismembered Saurabh's body, hid it in a blue drum filled with cement; sentencing is on October 14.
- •In India, the death penalty is reserved for 'rarest of rare' cases, not solely based on the heinousness of the crime.
- •Supreme Court guidelines mandate considering the accused's circumstances and a 'mitigation report' during sentencing.
- •Any death sentence by a Sessions Court must be confirmed by the High Court, and the accused has multiple appeal options.
Key Questions Answered
Muskan and her lover Sahil were found guilty of murdering her husband, Saurabh Rajput, after mixing sleeping pills in his food, dismembering his body, and sealing the pieces inside a blue drum with cement on March 3, 2025. The court delivered the verdict following over 126 hearings and testimonies from 22 witnesses.
Under Indian law and Supreme Court guidelines, capital punishment is restricted to the rarest of rare cases where reform is impossible, requiring a mitigation report detailing the convict's background, mental state, and jail behavior. Additionally, any death sentence issued by a Sessions Court is not legally valid until it is officially confirmed by the concerned High Court.
After murdering Saurabh Rajput on the night of March 3, 2025, Muskan and Sahil placed his remains in a blue drum filled with cement, and Muskan subsequently went to Shimla. When she returned on March 17 and questions arose about Saurabh's whereabouts, police discovered the hidden drum containing his body parts on March 18.
