A Meerut court on Wednesday awarded the death penalty to Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla for murdering former Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput and concealing his dismembered body in a blue drum.
The case, involving the killing of 29-year-old Rajput by his wife and her schoolmate-turned-partner, came to be known as the blue drum murder case.
Advocate Krishan Kumar Dubey said the court had also imposed fines under different sections. "The court has also imposed fines of Rs 50,000 under Section 302 and Rs 20,000 under Section 238A."
Calling the judgment historic, Dubey said the case had attracted nationwide attention, with people waiting to see what punishment the accused would receive. He said both appeared stunned after the verdict was announced.
The defense had argued that there were no eyewitnesses to the murder and pointed out that both accused had daughters. However, Dubey said the prosecution's evidence was strong, significant and precise enough to establish their guilt.
Explaining the reasoning behind the sentence, the advocate said the nature of the crime was the primary consideration.
"She killed her husband—whom she had married out of love—and then dismembered his body into three parts for disposal, hiding the remains in a blue drum. It was a meticulously planned conspiracy and strategy. She executed the murder with a calm and composed mind. Consequently, the death penalty was the appropriate punishment for such a premeditated killing," he said.
Dubey described the ruling as significant among court verdicts in the country, highlighting the fact that a woman had been sentenced to death.
"A woman being sentenced to death is, in itself, a precedent-setting event. Regarding her daughter, she can stay with her mother for six years," he said.
During the trial, the court heard the case in which Muskan and Sahil were accused of conspiring to murder Rajput and hiding his body in a blue drum. A total of 22 witnesses were presented before the court.