Owner says sealed flat has robbed him of livelihood and dignity
MEERUT: A two-storey house in Meerut that was the scene of the high-profile ‘blue-drum’ murder remains sealed by police even after 18 months, the elderly owner told media, saying the locked portion once provided crucial rental income for his family.
The house, measuring about 200 square yards, is divided into two sections. The portion where the victim, Saurabh Rajput, and accused Muskan had lived remains under police seal. The owner, 70-year-old Om Pal, said the seal has prevented him from using, selling or renting the space and has produced both financial loss and social isolation, according to a report in Dainik Bhaskar.
"Please open our house now. Why are you still keeping it locked?"
The report quoted Om Pal saying the rental had previously met household expenses for him and his wife. He described how neighbours and relatives now avoid the family and that people treat their home as if it were a place of shame, a change he blamed solely on having rented to the tenants who later became part of the murder investigation.
- Property status: One section sealed by police since the murder.
- Owner: 70-year-old retired resident living in the other section.
- Impact: Loss of rental income and social ostracism reported by the owner.
The house has a small internal gate that links the occupied section to the sealed portion; that gate remains open, but the sealed part — including the main gate and internal rooms — carries official locks and tape, the owner said. He appealed directly to the police to return access to the family.
Local residents reported that the property is now commonly referred to as the "murder house," a label that, the owner said, has pushed acquaintances away and compounded his distress. The sealed portion had been let to the tenants he had believed were from a respectable family, he added.
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Size of property | Approximately 200 sq yards, two-storey |
| Sealed portion | One section where accused and victim lived; sealed for 18 months |
| Effect on owner | Loss of rental income; social ostracism |
The sealed status follows the much-publicised investigation and subsequent sentencing in the case. Earlier this week, media reported that the accused, including Muskan and Sahil, were given capital punishment in connection with the murder. The continued sealing of the property is an administrative measure linked to the probe and subsequent proceedings, the owner said, but he questioned why the lock remains in place after such a long period.
Legal and police procedures sometimes require retention of property as evidence or until formal closure of cases and related claims. However, the extended duration of the seal has left the owner unable to generate rental income or dispose of the property, compounding financial difficulties for his elderly household.
Neighbours and local residents said they have noticed a shift in how the family is treated in the colony after the crime drew sustained media attention. The owner said he had no connection to the crime other than being the landlord, yet he faces stigma and economic strain because of the link of his property to the investigation.
The report in Dainik Bhaskar carried the owner’s plea and detailed his sense of humiliation and helplessness. No police comment on the current sealing arrangement was included in that report.
The case continues to reverberate through the neighbourhood: while the criminal matter proceeds in courts, owners of properties associated with violent incidents say collateral consequences — loss of income, difficulty in selling or re-letting, and social exclusion — are frequently overlooked. For this Meerut couple, the locked doors mean not only a legal limbo but also an uncertain financial future.
