Meerut Blue Barrel Murder Case

In March 2025, in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput was murdered by his wife Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla. Muskan drugged Saurabh, then Sahil stabbed him to death. The duo dismembered the body, sealed the parts in a blue plastic barrel with cement, and hid it in their rented home. The crime was uncovered after Saurabh's family reported him missing. Police recovered the barrel and arrested Muskan and Sahil. The brutal killing and the calculated attempt to conceal the crime triggered nationwide horror.

As of mid-2025, both accused, Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, have been arrested and charged with murder and destruction of evidence. The trial is ongoing in a Meerut district court, with no final verdict delivered yet.

Whether the murder was premeditated or resulted from a sudden quarrel; the extent of Muskan's role as perpetrator versus a possible victim of domestic abuse; the admissibility of forensic evidence extracted from the cement-filled drum; and the potential involvement of other accomplices in destroying evidence.

The case ignited massive public outrage over marital betrayal and extreme violence, dominating Indian news and social media. It revived debates on the misuse of domestic violence laws, the safety of spouses working abroad, and the role of extramarital affairs in homicides. The gruesome blue barrel imagery became a symbol of chilling premeditation, leading to widespread calls for swift justice and stricter penalties for concealing crimes.