Blue drum murder: Court admits convicts' appeals against death sentences
What's the story
The Allahabad High Court has accepted the appeals of Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla against their death sentences in the Meerut blue drum murder case. A division bench comprising Justice Salil Kumar Rai and Justice Padam Narayan Mishra heard the appeals on Tuesday. The next hearing is scheduled for November 30.
Conviction details
Case details and conviction
A Meerut trial court sentenced Muskan and her lover Sahil to death for the murder of her husband, Saurabh Rajput, a merchant navy officer, last year.
Rajput was allegedly drugged and murdered. His dismembered body was found stuffed inside a blue drum at his home in March 2025.
The drum had been filled with sand, water, and cement to mask decomposition odors.
Custody concerns
Who will get custody of the child?
The custody of Muskan's daughter is yet to be decided.
Meerut jail senior superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma said Muskan's wishes would be considered in deciding the child's future.
"If Sahil's family wants to take responsibility for raising the girl, it will have to submit an application to the jail administration. The request will then be placed before Muskan, and further steps will be taken based on her wishes," Sharma said.
Acceptance ambiguity
Will Sahil's family accept Muskan?
Saurabh's family had sought a DNA test, with his brother saying they would accept the child if it was established that she was his brother's daughter.
However, there is no known record of a DNA test having been carried out so far, according to TOI.
A social media influencer from Mumbai had offered to pay for Muskan's daughter's upbringing, but she declined the offer, jail senior superintendent Sharma said.