Daijiworld Media Network - Meerut
Meerut, Oct 25: Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, who were sentenced to death for the murder of Saurabh Rajput in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district, filed an appeal before the Allahabad High Court on October 23, challenging their convictions and death sentences in the sensational 'blue drum' murder case.
The duo has jointly appealed against the verdict delivered by the Meerut District and Sessions Court, seeking the quashing of their convictions and acquittal on all charges. The matter is likely to come up before a Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court next week.
The trial court convicted the two accused on September 30, 2026, and sentenced them to death on October 14, describing the murder as falling under the 'rarest of rare' category. It also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each convict. Both were separately convicted of destroying evidence.
The murder took place in Meerut's Brahmpuri area in March 2025. According to the prosecution, after Saurabh Rajput was murdered, his dismembered body was placed inside a blue plastic drum, which was filled with cement and concrete to conceal it. The remains were discovered on March 17, 2025, and the case subsequently attracted widespread attention.
Following an investigation, police arrested Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, and the case went to trial before a Meerut court.
The trial court convicted the duo under Section 103(1), read with Section 3(5), of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder, and Section 238(a) for destruction of evidence. In their appeal, the convicts have sought the setting aside of the judgment and death sentences.
According to the appeal, the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The appellants have argued that the case was based entirely on circumstantial evidence and that the trial court did not properly assess the evidence or apply the relevant legal principles before convicting them.
They have also alleged contradictions in witness statements concerning the purchase of the weapon, cement and drum. The appeal claims that CCTV footage and valid receipts relating to these purchases were not produced during the trial.
The convicts have further raised technical objections, including the alleged absence of signatures of independent witnesses on recovery documents, irregularities in videography and the non-availability of certificates required for electronic evidence.
The appellants have urged the High Court to set aside the conviction order dated September 30 and the death sentence awarded on October 14. These are arguments raised by the defence and will be examined during the High Court proceedings.
The appeal names senior advocate Sushil Shukla and advocates Nidhi Trivedi, Ravitendra Pratap Singh Chandel and Sandeep Kumar Dubey as representing the appellants.