After death sentence, UP Durga Puja pandal puts Muskan, Sahil effigies on the noose

A Durga Puja committee in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur hanged effigies of Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla – the convicts in the infamous 'blue drum' murder case – as part of its pandal decorations following the death sentence handed to the duo by a Meerut court.The life-sized dolls were hanged from nooses above the middle of a road, in full public view. Nitesh, the chairman of the organising committee, said the swift verdict in the case would further strengthen people's faith in the law.The trial in the case involved 126 hearings across a 13-month period.According to Nitesh, the idea behind the display is to deter such crimes by prompting people to think about the possible consequences. MEERUT BLUE DRUM MURDER CASE: BRIEF OVERVIEWIn March 2025, 35-year-old merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput was murdered and his dismembered body was concealed in a blue drum filled with cement by Muskan, his wife, and Sahil, the latter's lover.The case came to light after the remains were discovered in the drum. Earlier this month, a court in Meerut sentenced Muskan and Sahil to death.While pronouncing the punishment, the judge also invoked the Mahabharata and spoke on the duty to punish offenders.District Government Counsel KK Chaubey told news agency PTI that the judge observed that punishing those guilty of grave crimes was also a matter of dharma.The advocate described the crime as "extremely cruel and grave," saying the court considered stringent punishment necessary to prevent similar offences.- Ends(Based on inputs from Gajendra Tripathi, with additional inputs from PTI)