Stories
Muskaan and Sahil Sentenced to Death and 7 Years in Prison for Saurabh Rajput Murder
- •Meerut District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra sentenced Muskaan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla to death for the murder of Saurabh Rajput.
- •Both convicts received an additional seven-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000 each for the destruction of evidence.
- •The death penalty was awarded under Section 103(1) read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, subject to High Court confirmation.
- •The separate sentences were handed down because murder and evidence destruction are treated as distinct offenses under criminal law.
Key Questions Answered
In the Saurabh Rajput murder case in Meerut, District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra sentenced Muskaan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla to death for murder under Section 103(1) read with Section 3(5) of the BNS, 2023. Additionally, both were handed separate seven-year prison sentences and fined Rs 20,000 each under Section 238(a) of the BNS for the destruction of evidence.
Under criminal law, when multiple distinct crimes occur in a single incident, the court pronounces separate sentences for each offense. Committing the murder and subsequently destroying or getting rid of the body to conceal the crime constitute separate offenses, leading to the additional seven-year sentence for destroying evidence.
The convicts were sentenced to death for murder under Section 103(1) alongside Section 3(5) concerning joint liability for a common intention. Furthermore, they received seven years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 238(a) for destroying evidence and making false information disappear.
