Home / Crime and Justice / Bombay High Court Upholds Life Sentence for Brutal Flat Invasion Murder
Bombay High Court Upholds Life Sentence for Brutal Flat Invasion Murder
10 Nov
Summary
- Sajjad Mughal, alias Sajjad Pathan, convicted of 2012 murder of Mumbai lawyer Pallavi Purkayastha
- Pathan, a building security guard, entered Purkayastha's flat and killed her
- Victim's father petitioned for death penalty, but court upheld life sentence
On November 10, 2025, the Bombay High Court confirmed the 2014 conviction and life sentence of Sajjad Mughal, alias Sajjad Pathan, for the 2012 murder of Mumbai lawyer Pallavi Purkayastha. Pathan, who was 25 years old at the time of his arrest, was a building security guard who had entered Purkayastha's rental flat in Wadala and killed her.
The trial court had initially sentenced Pathan to life imprisonment, a decision that the Bombay High Court has now upheld. Purkayastha's father, Atanu Purkayastha, an IAS officer, had petitioned the court in 2022 to seek the enhancement of the punishment to a death sentence. However, the High Court has maintained the life sentence, ruling that it will be for the remainder of Pathan's natural life.
Pathan had filed an appeal against his conviction, while the state of Maharashtra had initially appealed to enhance the punishment to a death sentence. The High Court heard the arguments from the special counsel representing the state, the defense lawyer, and the victim's father before delivering its judgment.
