District Judge Arvind Kumar Mishra has handed down death sentences to Muskaan Rastogi and her partner, Sahil Shukla, for the murder of Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput. The sentencing concludes a legal process that began following the discovery of the victim's body inside a sealed blue drum, a case that has remained in the public eye for approximately 590 days.

During the sentencing, Judge Mishra invoked religious and philosophical texts, specifically referencing the Mahabharata and the concept of 'dharma' as a justification for the court's duty to punish those who commit grave wrongs. The prosecution successfully argued that the defendants were responsible for the crime, leading to the capital punishment ruling.

While the court has reached a verdict, the legal proceedings have been marked by significant efforts from the defense team to contest the charges. Following the announcement of the sentence, the lawyer representing the victim’s family spoke briefly outside the courtroom, emphasizing the conclusion of the long-standing case. The case gained notoriety due to the gruesome nature of the disposal of the victim's body, which remained hidden in the drum for an extended period before being discovered by authorities. The court's decision to cite the Gita in its final order has drawn attention to the moral and judicial reasoning applied by the presiding judge in this high-profile murder case.