Skipped meal, sleepless night: Death row rattles blue drum convicts Muskan, Sahil

Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla, who have been sentenced to death in the infamous Meerut blue drum case, spent a restless night and skipped dinner in Meerut district jail after the verdict, according to jail administration sources.Muskan and Sahil, who killed her husband and Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput and concealed his body in a cement-filled drum in March last year, had also been anxious ahead of the sentencing on Wednesday.Following the district court's verdict, their concerns have intensified, particularly for Muskan, who is worried about the future and care of her 10-month-old daughter, Radha, sources said.According to the jail administration, Muskan and Sahil have been mentally disturbed after getting the death sentence. They neither ate breakfast and dinner before and after the sentencing. Muskan's first reaction to the death sentence was “Arre!”, an expression of surprise or disbelief. The convicts, who were presented before the court through video conferencing on Wednesday, have been assigned separate barracks. Muskan is lodged in barrack number 12B, while Sahil is in barrack number 15.WHITE PRISON CLOTHES, ASSIGNED DUTIESFollowing the death sentence, Muskan and Sahil have been provided prison clothing and will be required to wear it while serving their time in jail. Sahil received two pairs of white kurta-pyjamas, while Muskan was given a white saree and a cream-coloured suit. They have also been assigned work as part of their prison routine. Muskan will undertake sewing, while Sahil has been allotted farming duties.The convicts will now be identified by their prisoner numbers for jail-related procedures. Sahil has been assigned number 395/2026, while Muskan's number is 396/2026.ABOUT THE BLUE DRUM CASEMuskan and Sahil were convicted on September 30 for killing Saurabh on March 3, 2025, dismembering his body and hiding the remains in a blue drum filled with cement in Meerut's Brahmapuri area. The crime came to light about a fortnight later, when the remains were discovered at the couple's house.According to the prosecution, Muskan and Sahil planned Saurabh's killing amid their relationship and wanted to remove him from their lives.During the death sentence hearing, District and Sessions Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra referred to the Mahabharata, observing that punishment is also a form of dharma. The judge pronounced the sentence after a 13-month trial involving 126 hearings.- Ends(with inputs from Usman Chaudhary)