Saurabh Rajput Murder Verdict After 126 Hearings: What Happened In The Blue Drum Case?
The verdict in the Meerut blue drum murder case is expected on Wednesday, September 30, with the court set to decide whether Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla are guilty of killing Merchant Navy worker Saurabh Rajput.
'Blue drum' murder verdict today after 126 hearings
The much-awaited verdict in the Meerut 'blue drum' murder case is expected on Wednesday, September 30. The district court will decide whether Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla are guilty of killing Merchant Navy worker Saurabh Rajput and concealing his remains inside a blue plastic drum.
Quantum of sentence after evidence analysis
District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra is expected to first pronounce the verdict on the charges against the two accused. If they are convicted, the court will then hear arguments on the quantum of sentence. The final decision will be based on the evidence presented during the trial and the applicable law.
What happened to Saurabh Rajput?
According to the prosecution, Rajput was allegedly drugged by the accused and then stabbed to death in March 2025. His body was then allegedly dismembered with the help of co-accused Sahil and the remains were placed inside a blue plastic drum.
The prosecution has further alleged that cement was used to seal the remains inside the drum. Police later recovered the body from the house, leading to the investigation that brought the case into the spotlight.
Police said Muskan and Sahil later fled to Himachal Pradesh and were arrested around two weeks after the murder.
126 hearings and 22 witnesses
The case has gone through an extended trial, with 126 hearings and more than 22 prosecution witnesses examined. Final arguments were completed on September 17, after which the matter was fixed for judgment.
Senior prosecution officer KK Chaubey said all prosecution witnesses had been examined and the prosecution had sought stringent punishment for the accused. He also said the final decision would be based on the evidence and law.
Security tightened ahead of verdict
Security arrangements have been strengthened around the Meerut court complex ahead of the verdict. Additional police personnel have been deployed in and around the premises.
The two accused are likely to be produced through video conferencing, as has happened during earlier proceedings. The decision to use video conferencing follows heightened security concerns after an earlier court appearance.
On March 19, 2025, when Muskan and Sahil were produced before a court amid tight security, an agitated group of lawyers allegedly assaulted Sahil. Police intervened and took the accused away.
Accused behaviour changes before verdict
Meerut District Jail officials said changes had been noticed in the behaviour of both accused ahead of the judgment.
Sahil has reportedly remained quiet and withdrawn for the past few days and has not been interacting much with other inmates. Jail officials also said both accused had been spending considerable time in prayer in the days before the verdict.
The court’s decision will determine the next stage of the case. If the accused are found guilty, arguments on punishment will follow.
(With inputs from agencies)
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