NAVI MUMBAI: Nine years after police officer Ashwini Bidre -Gore went missing, Panvel sessions court on Saturday held her colleague, inspector Abhay Kurundkar, guilty of murder. Two others who helped Kurundkar in disposing of the body were also held guilty for disappearance of evidence.
Kurundkar, who was in a relationship with assistant police inspector Bidre, murdered her following a dispute in April 2016, cut her body into parts, stuffed it in a trunk and sack and dumped it in Vasai creek. The remains were never found. Judge K G Paldewar will pronounce the sentence on April 11 after hearing Bidre’s father and daughter on quantum of compensation. The judge expressed surprise that Kurundkar was given the President’s medal for gallanty in 2017.
Holding three persons guilty of murder of woman cop Ashwini Bidre-Gore, Judge K G Paldewar said, “It is surprising that Abhay Kurundkar, who allegedly kidnapped and murdered Ashwini Bidre-Gore in April 2016, was given the President’s medal for gallantry on Republic Day. Hence, the question arises as to how the committee of the police department recommended his name for the award in spite of being aware that he was an accused in a murder case. An inquiry is necessary against the errant officers.”
Kurundkar did not show any remorse when the judge announced the verdict, said Raju Gore, Bidre’s estranged husband. The others convicted are Kundan Bhandari, Kurundkar’s driver, and Mahesh Phalnikar, a Pune bank staffer and close friend of Kurundkar. Phalnikar collapsed in court after he was held guilty.
Special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat said, “I had demanded to frame additional charge under Section 218 (public servant framing incorrect record with intent to save a person from punishment) of IPC by arguing Kurundkar had prepared a fake log book by making false entry of timings of police patrolling vehicle at Thane rural crime department, where he was senior inspector, to claim he was on patrolling duty when the alleged murder took place.”
He added, “The technical evidence using Google map tracking gathered by investigating officer ACP Sangita Shinde Alphanso helped in proving circumstantial evidence against Kurundkar as his presence was located at Vasai creek on the day he allegedly murdered API Bidre and dumped her body parts in the creek with the help of two accused. Also, as court has reprimanded errant police officers for delay in probing the murder case allegedly under political pressure, we will ensure they face disciplinary action.”
Judge Paldewar said the murder falls in the rarest of rare category. The court said Bidre’s father and daughter, who were not present in court, were actual victims as they have lost a daughter and mother, and wanted to decide on their compensation. They have suffered due to the lethargic attitude of police officers responsible for the delay in registering murder case a year after she went missing, he said.
Advocate Vishal Bhanushali, representing Abhay Kurundkar, Bhandari and Phalnikar, said, “As defense counsel, I had the solemn responsibility of safeguarding legal rights and ensuring the trial conformed to the highest standards of fairness and due process. This was an intensely scrutinized and emotionally charged case, involving voluminous evidence.”
