Meerut blue drum case: Why Did judge invoke Mahabharata and SC in Muskan-Sahil death sentence?

Meerut: When sentencing Muskan Rastogi and her partner Sahil Shukla to death for the gruesome murder of Saurabh Rajput, a court in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut bridged centuries of legal principles by juxtaposing Supreme Court rulings on crime’s impact on society with an ancient Mahabharata verse on justice and social order.

District and Sessions Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra referred to both while explaining the reasoning behind the sentence in the case, which is also known as the Meerut blue drum case. 

The court convicted the two of killing Saurabh Rajput, the woman’s husband, and destroying evidence. The sentence was pronounced on October 14, 2026.  Fines of Rs 50,000 each for murder and Rs 20,000 each for causing the disappearance of evidence were also imposed on the duo.

The two references serve different purposes in the order. The Supreme Court ruling deals with the responsibilities of criminal courts and the effect of crime on society. The Mahabharata verse uses the relationship between a forest and a tiger to explain why society and the system of law need one another.

What SC judgment says about crime

The Meerut court referred to 2025 landmark judgment of the Supreme Court in Edakkandi Dineshan alias P. Dineshan vs. State of Kerala, whrein the apex court said courts must balance the interests of the accused with those of the state and society while carrying out their duties.  

The passage cited in the Meerut court’s order addresses the consequences of criminal acts. It says crime can create fear in society and harm social consciousness. The reasoning describes criminal justice as a means of protecting human dignity, restoring order and stability and building public trust and solidarity.

It also sets out a responsibility for courts to consider the rights of the accused along with the interests of the state and society. This means sentencing is part of the court’s larger legal responsibility. 

The Mahabharata verse on law and society

The judge in Meerut also referred to a verse from the Mahabharata to explain the connection between society and the rules that govern it. The Sanskrit verse reads:

निर्वनो वध्यते व्याघ्रो निर्व्याघ्रं छिद्यते वनम्।
तस्माद्व्याघ्रो वनं रक्षेद्वनं व्याघ्रं च पालयेत्॥

It compares a forest without a tiger to a tiger without a forest. In the interpretation set out in the court order, the forest represents society and the tiger represents law or punishment.

The analogy explains that law needs society to exist, while society needs law to protect people and maintain order. The verse describes how law must protect society and how society must uphold the law.

The reference uses an ancient text to explain a principle relevant to a modern criminal court. The judgment uses the verse to describe why legal rules and the society they govern cannot be treated as separate from each other.

The case behind the sentence

Saurabh Rajput, a former Merchant Navy officer, was killed in March 2025. His body was dismembered and concealed in a blue plastic drum filled with cement. The discovery of the mortal remains led to the investigation that resulted in Muskan and Sahil’s arrest.

A total of 22 prosecution witnesses testified during the trial, which concluded after more than 100 hearings. Both convicts appeared before the court through video conferencing when the sentence was pronounced.