Verdict in Pallavi Purkayastha murder case likely today

The Mumbai sessions court is scheduled to deliver its judgement on the murder of Pallavi Purkayastha, the young advocate who was allegedly killed by the security guard of the building where she lived in Wadala nearly two years ago.

The guard, Sajjad Pathan, was arrested within a few days after Pallavi's body was found lying in a pool of blood at her rented flat on the 16th floor of the Himalayan Heights building on August 9, 2012, by her live-in partner Avik Sengupta, also a lawyer.

According to investigators, the guard confessed he stole the house keys to gain entry to the house, took her by surprise and tried to rape her. When she tried to resist, he hit her with a blunt object before stabbing her brutally.

Even in that condition she managed to get out of the flat and ring the doorbell of the neighbour's, which was indicated by the blood stains in the corridor and the doorbell. Pathan, 22, a native of Uri in Jammu & Kashmir, is charged with murder, molestation and trespass.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 40 witnesses. Her friend Sengupta, the prime witness in the case, passed away in hospital in November 2013 after battling a brain ailment for over a year. He was said to be suffering depression since the murder.

The prosecution is optimistic about a positive verdict. "It was a tough case as there was no direct evidence. The entire case is entirely based on circumstantial evidence. However, the prosecution has tried to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt and we are optimistic about the outcome," said Ujjwal Nikam, special public prosecutor.

Pallavi, 25, worked as legal adviser with filmmaker Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment and was the daughter of an IAS officer posted in the ministry of agriculture in Delhi.

Investigators say the security guard had been eying the young woman for some time and he planned and executed the attack.

They said that when Pallavi returned home late at night, she found that there was no power in the flat. She informed her boyfriend and on his advice asked an electrician to come and check the problem.

After the power was restored she informed Sengupta again. But some time later the power went off again and she told him she would just go to sleep if the electrician did not turn up. But he did come again, this time with the guard, and restored the power supply.

What she did not know was that the guard stole the keys that were lying on the kitchen platform.