An Indian court has sentenced a 26-year-old woman and her boyfriend to death for killing her husband and concealing his body in a blue plastic drum in Uttar Pradesh.
Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, 28, were convicted on September 30 over the murder of Saurabh Rajput, whose remains were discovered inside a large storage container in March 2025. The case became widely known as the “blue drum murder.”
The death sentences, handed down on Wednesday, are subject to confirmation by the High Court. The two convicts can also appeal against the ruling.
During the trial, prosecutors told the court that Rastogi and Shukla had known each other since their school days and later developed a romantic relationship while Rajput was working in London.
The prosecution said Rajput discovered the affair in 2021 and considered ending the marriage. However, his family reportedly persuaded him to reconsider because the couple had a young daughter. Investigators said the murder occurred on March 3, 2025, when Rajput travelled to Meerut. According to police, Rastogi served him food containing sedatives before he was killed.
After the killing, the two allegedly travelled to Himachal Pradesh in an attempt to evade detection. Police said they continued using Rajput’s mobile phone to send messages to his relatives, creating the impression that he was still alive and away on business.
Concern grew when Rajput’s family could no longer establish his whereabouts, prompting them to report him missing.
On March 17, Rastogi returned from Himachal Pradesh and visited her parents. Her six-year-old daughter reportedly asked about her father, raising further questions about his disappearance.
Rastogi initially accused her in-laws of being responsible for the killing. However, her parents were unconvinced and took her to a police station, where she confessed during questioning, according to the prosecution’s account. Both Rastogi and Shukla were subsequently arrested and charged in connection with Rajput’s murder.
Reacting to the verdict, Rajput’s brother told BBC Hindi that his brother had been killed by people he described as cruel. Rastogi’s parents also called for strict punishment, with her father telling ANI that his daughter and her boyfriend had killed her husband in their home and describing her as a danger to society.
While in custody, Rastogi gave birth to her second child.
