In July last year, a sessions court had convicted and sentenced Pathan to life imprisonment for committing the murder of Purkayastha.
The trial court refused to hand down the death penalty to Pathan after observing that the case does not fall under the purview of 'rarest of the rare'.
Pathan, a security guard at the building where Pallavi was staying, was convicted for murder, molestation and criminal trespass.
The state government then approached the high court seeking enhancement of the punishment handed down to Pathan and sought death sentence.
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"We have perused the findings recorded by the trial court. Upon such perusal, we are of the prima facie opinion that this appeal filed by the State seeking enhancement of the sentence deserves to be admitted," Justice Hardas said.
Purkayastha, daughter of an IAS officer based in Delhi, worked as a legal advisor with actor-director Farhan Akhtar's firm Excel Entertainment Private Limited. She along with her partner Avik Sengupta lived in a rented flat in suburban Wadala. On August 9, 2012 Purkayastha was found murdered in her flat.