The verdict in the widely followed Saurabh Rajput murder case, in which the deceased’s body was allegedly found concealed inside a blue drum at his house, is expected to be pronounced by the Meerut district court on Wednesday, September 30.
There is nothing else left except to pronounce the verdict. Saurabh’s wife, Muskan Rastogi, and Sahil Shukla, who the prosecution has described as her alleged lover and co-accused, are facing trial in the case. The prosecution has sought the death penalty for both, while the defence has argued that there was no eyewitness to the murder and has sought relief for the accused. Police and forensic witnesses described the recovery of the body from the drum, while the post-mortem evidence documented injuries allegedly caused by sharp-edged weapons. Saurabh’s mother Renu Rajput also accused Muskan and Sahil of killing her son.
All that remains is the pronouncement of verdict, and tomorrow (September 30) is the next hearing in the case. The case has seen 126 hearings and testimony from more than 22 witnesses, with prosecution and defence presenting their respective arguments before district judge Arvind Kumar Mishra. The case reached the court on March 17, 2025, while Muskan and Sahil were sent to Meerut jail on March 19. The trial was transferred to the district judge’s court in July 2025, and arguments continued for around 13 months. Chaubey said the prosecution had placed scientific evidence and the statements of 22 witnesses before the court.
District government counsel Krishna Kumar Chaubey said, “All facts have been placed before the court, the witnesses have recorded their testimonies, and as such all proceedings related to this case have been completed. She told the court that Saurabh had married Muskan despite opposition from his family and alleged that Muskan continued to meet Sahil even after the marriage.
The prosecution alleged that the murder was pre-planned and that the accused had purchased a knife, razor, cement, sand and a large blue drum before the killing.
