Guard stabs lawyer to death at Mumbai home, detained

Mumbai: A security guard in a Wadala apartment has reportedly been arrested and has admitted to the murder of a young woman advocate, who was found stabbed multiple times at her apartment in Mumbai.

The victim, Pallavi Purkayastha, was found in a pool of blood at her rented flat in ‘Himalayan Heights’ building at Wadala in central Mumbai by her live-in partner Avik Sengupta (26), also a lawyer, ACP Praveen Salunkhe said.

Her parents are both IAS officials and reside in Delhi.

“Pallavi’s body has multiple stab injuries. The scene of crime indicates she struggled to save herself. When Avik returned home this morning at around 5:30 AM, he found that the door was slightly opened… he went inside and found the blood-soaked body of Pallavi with the throat slit, following which he informed the police,” he said.

The victim had reportedly called her boyfriend late on Wednesday night saying that there was no electricity in the house.

Saajid Pathan, a security guard at the building had reportedly gone to the house with an electrician, and the Indian Express has quoted unnamed police officials who said that he murdered her after she resisted his advances.

Purkayastha had reportedly made an attempt to escape and bloodstains were found at multiple locations in the house. She had even rung her neighbour’s doorbell multiple times but no one answered, the report stated, adding that the  electrician too has been detained by the police.