Victim’s flat keys found in accused guard’s clothes

In what could prove to be crucial evidence, the Mumbai Crime Branch has recovered the keys to Pallavi Purkayastha’s flat. They  had been stolen by the accused, Sajad Ahmed Mugal, to gain access to her house.

Purkayastha had been  murdered by Mugal in her flat on the 16th floor of the Himalayan Heights building in Wadala (East). Mughal was the security guard of the building.

The police found the keys to her house from the clothes Mugal was wearing when he committed the offence. He changed his clothes and fled the spot. 

“The keys were found in the pocket of the blood-stained clothes which Mugal had left in the cabin, where he changed his clothes. He told us that he had planned to take the keys with him but forgot to remove them from the clothes in hurry,” said a crime branch officer.

Mugal had stolen the keys to her house when he had accompanied the electrician to resolve a problem. Mugal had deliberately switched off the lights to her house to gain access and steal the keys.

Mugal went inside Purkayastha’s flat using the stolen keys to fulfil his perverted intentions. However, Purkayastha put up a strong fight, because of which Mugal killed her and fled from the spot.
He was arrested on the same day near the Mumbai Central station and is currently under police custody.

Purkayastha was the  daughter of an IAS officer. She  lived in Wadala with her boyfriend, Avik Sengupta, since eight months, and was murdered in her flat on August 9.