What was the outcome of Sajjad Pathan's appeal against his conviction?

Sajjad Pathan's appeal against his conviction for the murder of Pallavi Purkayastha was dismissed by the Bombay High Court in 2025.

Why did Pallavi Purkayastha's father seek to enhance the punishment to a death sentence?

Pallavi Purkayastha's father, Atanu Purkayastha, petitioned the Bombay High Court in 2022 to seek the enhancement of Sajjad Pathan's punishment from a life sentence to a death sentence, arguing that the crime was "heinous and gruesome".

How long did Sajjad Pathan serve his life sentence before escaping from jail?

In 2016, Sajjad Pathan was granted a 30-day parole on the grounds of his mother's ill health, but he never returned to Nashik Central Jail where he was lodged since his conviction in 2014. The Mumbai Crime Branch finally found him in 2017 in Jammu and Kashmir.

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

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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

Bombay High Court Upholds Life Sentence for Brutal Flat Invasion Murder

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.