{
  "id": 14438180,
  "title": "Meerut Blue Drum Murder Case: Muskan Rastogi, Lover Sahil Shukla Sentenced To Death For Killing Saurabh",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/meerut-blue-drum-murder-case-muskan-rastogi-lover-sahil-shukla",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-14T10:57:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/meerut-blue-drum-murder-case-muskan-rastogi-lover-sahil-shukla-sentenced-to-death-for-killing-saurabh"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent court ruling, Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla have been sentenced to death for the murder of Muskan's husband, Saurabh Rajput. The court in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, handed down the death penalty to the accused after a lengthy trial involving 126 hearings and testimonies from over 22 witnesses. The murder took place on March 3, 2025, with Saurabh, a Merchant Navy officer, returning to Meerut from London on February 24.\n\nAccording to the prosecution, Muskan and Sahil had drugged Saurabh's food before attacking him while he was asleep. The accused allegedly took Saurabh's body to the bathroom, where Sahil dismembered him by cutting off his head and both hands. They then placed the body parts inside a blue plastic drum and sealed it with cement. Following the murder, the pair allegedly traveled to Shimla and Manali, during which time Muskan continued to post photos and videos on Instagram, attempting to create the impression that she was traveling with her husband. The crime came to light on March 18 when Saurabh's younger brother, Rahul, visited the house and discovered Muskan and Sahil. Suspicious of their explanations and a foul smell emanating from the house, he alerted others, leading to the involvement of the police. Prior to the verdict, Saurabh's family had sought the strictest possible punishment for the accused.",
  "summary": "A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut on Wednesday sentenced Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla to death for the murder of her husband, Saurabh Rajput, whose dismembered body was found sealed inside a blue plastic drum filled with cement. Meerut, Uttar Pradesh: Accused Muskan and Sahil sentenced to death in the Saurabh Rajput murder case pic.twitter.com/aIcbYgYtqf — ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2026…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "‘Let me meet my daughter once’: Muskan Rastogi ahead of blue drum murder verdict",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/let-me-meet-my-daughter-once-muskan-rastogi-ahead-of-blue-drum-murder",
        "published": "2026-10-14T07:23:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Meerut 'blue drum' murder: Death penalty for Muskan Rastogi, lover Sahil for husband's killing",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/meerut-blue-drum-murder-death-penalty-for-muskan-rastogi-lover-sahil",
        "published": "2026-10-14T10:55:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "Death Penalty For Muskaan Rastogi, Lover Sahil Shukla In Meerut Blue Drum Murder",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/death-penalty-for-muskaan-rastogi-lover-sahil-shukla-in-meerut-blue",
        "published": "2026-10-14T11:08:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "From Blue Drum Discovery To Death Sentence: Meerut Court Awards Capital Punishment To Muskan & Her Lover Sahil",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/from-blue-drum-discovery-to-death-sentence-meerut-court-awards",
        "published": "2026-10-14T11:53:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}