Mumbai: Watchman charged with attempt to rape in Pallavi Purkayastha case

Mumbai: Over four months after the murder of the city-based lawyer Pallavi Purkayastha, allegedly by the watchman of her building, the prosecution on Thursday slapped attempt to rape charge against him. The prosecution on Thursday submitted draft charges to a local court with addition of the attempt to rape charge against Sajjad Mughal (22), a native of Jammu and Kashmir, who was employed as a security guard at 'Himalayan Heights' in suburban Wadala where he allegedly killed Pallavi on August 9 for resisting his advances.

Police had earlier claimed that Mughal used to ogle the 25-year-old victim, the daughter of IAS officer Atanu Purkayastha, the joint secretary in the Agriculture Ministry. The court is likely to frame charges, including trespassing, murder and attempt to rape under sections 376 (punishment for rape) of IPC r/w 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) against Mughal in January 2013.

The Crime Branch had filed a 434-page chargesheet on October 30 against Mughal under the charges of trespassing and murder. In his statement to police, Mughal had said that he sneaked in Pallavi's flat on August 9 using a set of duplicate keys and tried to force himself upon her.

Accused Sajjad Mughal was a security guard at the apartment and had allegedly killed Pallavi on August 9 for resisting his advances.

"However when I forced myself upon her she resisted and started screaming and at this time I assaulted her with my knife that I was already carrying," Mughal had said in his statement.

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