Locked For 19 Months, Meerut's 'Blue Drum' Murder House To Be 'Purified'

Nearly 19 months after a gruesome murder left a house in Meerut sealed, the premises where merchant navy officer Saurabh Rajput was killed and his dismembered body concealed in a blue drum filled with cement will undergo a "purification" ritual after Diwali, its owner has said.

The house owner, Ompal Singh, said on Saturday that a "shuddhikaran" (purification ritual) and a "havan" would be performed in the portion of the house where the murder took place. Preparations have also begun to get the premises painted after a thorough cleaning.

Saurabh and his wife Muskan had been living as tenants in the house, located in Indira Nagar in the Brahmpuri area of Meerut.

Last Wednesday, in the presence of police personnel, the locks of the house, which had remained sealed for nearly 19 months after the murder, were broken open. Police inventoried Saurabh's belongings found inside and handed them over to his brother, Rahul alias Bablu.

The sight of the room where the murder took place proved overwhelming for Saurabh's family, with his mother, Renu Devi, and brother breaking down in tears upon entering it.

Saurabh, a merchant navy officer, was killed on March 3, 2025. Muskan and her alleged accomplice Sahil are accused of dismembering his body, placing the remains inside a blue drum and filling it with cement in an attempt to conceal the crime.

The gruesome murder came to light after the remains were discovered at the couple's house in Meerut. Police arrested Muskan and Sahil on March 18, following which details of the murder emerged. 

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