Teen carries blue drum kanwar for Meerut murder victim Saurabh Rajput’s soul ‘mukti’

A 16-year-old devotee participating in the ongoing Kanwar Yatra has drawn attention for carrying a symbolic kanwar seeking liberation for the soul of Saurabh Rajput, the merchant navy officer brutally murdered in Meerut earlier this year, FPJ reported. The devotee has embarked on a foot journey from Haridwar to Ghaziabad.

The poignant act mirrors the chilling details of the crime, where Rajput’s dismembered body was stuffed into a blue drum filled with cement by his wife and her lover.

The video shared by Bharat Samachar on X shows Shivam, the young pilgrim, balancing two blue drums on his shoulders as part of his ‘Mukti Sankalp’ (pledge for salvation) during the yatra. Citing reports, FPJ said that Shivam plans to collect 101 litres of Ganga water in the drums, a stark echo of the container used to conceal Rajput’s remains.

The Meerut murder case, which sent shockwaves across India in March, involved Rajput’s wife, Muskan Rastogi and her boyfriend, Sahil Shukla. The duo allegedly killed Rajput days after he returned from London to celebrate Muskan’s birthday.

Police said the accused chopped his body into pieces, packed them into the drum and sealed it with cement. The crime came to light on March 18 when Rajput’s brother visited the couple’s rented home in Brahmpuri and grew suspicious over Muskan’s evasive answers and a foul odour.

The Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage in the holy month of Shravan, sees millions of Lord Shiva devotees fetching Ganga water to offer at local temples. Shivam’s tribute - a blend of devotion and grim symbolism - has added a sombre layer to this year’s observances. After the murder, Muskan and Sahil reportedly fled to the hills but were later arrested.