Cops drop molestation charge against guard

In a 434-page chargesheet filed on Tuesday in the Pallavi Purkayastha murder case, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch has charged security guard Sajjad Ahmad Mughal alias Sajjad Pathan (22) with house trespass and murder (Section 302 of the IPC) but dropped the molestation charge.

Pathan was earlier booked under Section 354 of the Indian penal Code (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty). The police now claim the accused entered the house with the intention to molest her, but had not succeeded.

Pallavi, a 25-year-old lawyer, was found murdered on August 9 in her Wadala flat. "During investigations we could not find any corroborative evidence to suggest Purkayastha was molested. So it was decided to drop the charge," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Ambadas Pote.

A senior Crime Branch official claimed that although the molestation charge was dropped, it has not been completely ruled it out. "It is a dilemma we faced during investigation. Although in his confession the accused speaks of the intention with which he walked into her house, it is difficult to prove the crime (molestation). We decided to stick to a more serious section (449 of the Indian Penal Code) for house-trespass to commit an offence punishable with death. Also he had entered the house with a knife, so the murder motive is obvious," said a senior officer.

Pallavi, daughter of Atanu Purkayastha who is joint secretary in the Union Agriculture Ministry was found with throat slit at her sixteenth floor (1601) apartment Himalayan Heights (B Wing) in Wadala (East) where she resided with her boyfriend Avik Sengupta, also a lawyer with a reputed firm. Sengupta had lodged the police complaint.

The chargesheet has statements of 46 witnesses including neighbours, the security agency that recruited Pathan, forensic experts and police officials.

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