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Muskan Rastogi reportedly seeks a meeting with her seven-year-old daughter ahead of sentencing in the Meerut blue drum murder case. (Img: X)
Meerut: Muskan Rastogi, convicted in the Meerut blue drum murder case alongside Sahil Shukla, has reportedly requested a meeting with her seven-year-old daughter ahead of sentencing.
Jail authorities said Muskan had been seeking to meet her daughter for three to four days, but the child had not been brought to the prison as of Wednesday. Meanwhile, both convicts appeared before the district judge through video conferencing for a hearing ahead of the judgement in the high-profile murder of Saurabh Rajput.
Muskan’s reported request to meet her daughter has emerged as a significant personal development in a case that has attracted widespread public attention. According to Senior Jail Superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma, Muskan had repeatedly expressed her wish to see her elder daughter, who is around seven years old.
However, the meeting had not taken place as of Wednesday, and the reasons for the delay remained unclear. No confirmation was available regarding when the child might be brought to the prison.
Sharma said Muskan and Sahil appeared anxious and distressed while awaiting the court’s decision. Both had reportedly eaten very little during dinner and breakfast and were experiencing difficulties sleeping.
Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla appeared before the district judge through video conferencing from jail on Wednesday. The court asked both convicts whether they wished to make submissions before their sentences were pronounced.
Sharma said the judge questioned them on several aspects of the case, including the forensic report. Both were given an opportunity to present their respective positions during the brief hearing.
The senior jail superintendent confirmed that the convicts were presented separately and responded to the judge’s questions. He declined to disclose the specific questions raised during the proceedings.
Jail authorities said they were prepared to produce the convicts before the court whenever directed. The two are expected to be called again before the sentencing decision is formally pronounced.
On September 30, a Meerut court convicted Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla of conspiring to murder Saurabh Rajput, Muskan’s husband, and concealing his body in an industrial drum filled with concrete and sand.
The case became widely known as the blue drum murder case because of the container allegedly used to conceal Rajput’s remains. The nature of the crime and the circumstances surrounding the concealment of the body generated extensive public interest.
The verdict followed a lengthy judicial process involving 126 hearings and statements from 22 witnesses. The conviction marked a major milestone in the case, shifting attention towards the sentencing proceedings.
The case has continued to draw public scrutiny because of the alleged circumstances of the murder, the evidence examined during the trial and the relationship between the people involved.
The forensic report was among the subjects raised during Wednesday’s hearing, according to the senior jail superintendent. However, the specific questions asked by the judge and the details of the exchanges were not disclosed.
The trial involved testimony from 22 witnesses across 126 hearings before the court delivered its September 30 verdict. The forensic evidence and witness statements formed part of the judicial proceedings that culminated in the convictions.
With sentencing approaching, the court is expected to consider the relevant legal submissions before determining the punishment. Further details about the next hearing and the final sentencing decision were not confirmed in the information available at the time of reporting.
