SP leader’s 'blue drum' gift to UP Deputy CM sparks political controversy over Meerut murder case
Meerut: The murder of Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput in Meerut has sparked a political debate after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Deepak Ranjan presented a blue drum to Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak at an event in Lucknow on Tuesday. The gesture, captured in viral images, was seen as a jibe at the state’s law and order situation.
Rajput’s wife, Muskan Rastogi, confessed to killing him with the help of her lover, Sahil Shukla. The duo dismembered Rajput’s body and concealed it in a blue drum filled with cement. The crime has turned the blue drum into a chilling symbol, widely referenced in memes and social media discussions.
SP leader Ranjan’s act of gifting a blue drum has ignited debate over governance and security in Uttar Pradesh. The move, made during the ‘Lantrani Hasya Utsav’ event in Lucknow, has further intensified political discourse.
The case has also affected sales of blue drums, particularly in Meerut and Aligarh, where shopkeepers report a decline due to public apprehension. Some sellers have urged people not to stigmatise the item.
Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla remain in jail, facing trial for the gruesome murder.
Fogg से भी ज़्यादा चलने वाला आइटम ये नीला ड्रम ही है । अब तो लोग उप मुख्यमंत्री तक को गिफ्ट कर रहे है
— Amrish Srivastava🇮🇳 (@amrishsonu) April 2, 2025
सपा प्रवक्ता दीपक रंजन ने DCM ब्रजेश पाठक को नीला ड्रम भेंट किये... @brajeshpathakup @DeepakRanjanSP @yadavakhilesh pic.twitter.com/2axEC2XEKt
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
