Pallavi Purkayastha's killer was in Mumbai for a month after jumping parole

Sajjad Mughal, who was convicted in 2014 for the August 2012 murder of lawyer Pallavi Purkayastha reportedly stayed in Mumbai for a month after jumping parole in March last year.

Mughal was arrested by a Mumbai Crime Branch team on Tuesday from Jammu & Kashmir, almost 18 months after he jumped parole from a Nashik jail. Mughal’s custody was handed over to Nashik police on Wednesday.

According to the police, Mughal told them during questioning that he had applied for parole only to escape and had no plans to return to jail. After jumping parole he was working in Andheri's industrial estate as a helper with a changed identity to collect money so that he could flee to his native place.

Mughal had garnered support from his villagers to help his avoid being caught by police, after he convinced them that he had been falsely implicated in the murder case by police.

Mughal was produced in Nashik Court and was later sent to Nashik Central jail after having granted judicial custody.

On August 9, 2012, Purkayastha, the daughter of IAS officers Atanu and Sumita Purkayastha – who were posted in Delhi at the time – was found dead in her flat in Wadala.

The police had arrested Mughal, who worked as the watchman of the building where Purkayastha stayed, for his involvement in the crime. Mughal had fled from the building after Purkayastha was found dead. In his confession, Mughal told the police that he had killed Pallavi as she fought him when he tried to force himself on her.