President’s gallantry award recipient police officer convicted for female colleague’s murder

Navi Mumbai: Nine years after the sensational murder of a female police officer, a trial court in the Raigad district has convicted former Senior Police Inspector Abhay Kurundkar, recipient of the President’s gallantry award and two others.

The victim in the case is Assistant Police Inspector Ashwini Bidre-Gore.

Posted with the Protection of Civil Rights Unit in Konkan Bhavan at Belapur in Navi Mumbai, Bidre-Gore, a resident of Roadpali in Kalamboli, has been missing since 15 April 2016, and a missing case was registered on 14 July 2016 at the complaint of her brother Anand Bidre.

Besides Kurundkar, the trial court also convicted two of Kurundkar’s aides, Mahesh Phalnikar, his close friend and a bank employee, and his driver, Kundan Bhandari.

Another accused, Raju Patil, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

Sessions Judge K G Paldewar, who presides over a court in Panvel, passed the conviction order on Saturday.

“We are happy that the main accused has been found guilty,” Raju Gore, the estranged husband of Bidre-Gore, said after the conviction order.

The quantum of the sentence is expected to be pronounced on 11 April.

Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat represented the prosecution, while the defence was led by Vishal Bhanushali and Prasad Patil.

The trial began on 30 November 2018 at the Alibaug District Court.

Later, when the proceedings started at the newly formed Panvel Session Court, the case was transferred there.

Kurundkar and Bidre were in a relationship, but he was annoyed with her insistence on marriage and got rid of her.

Kurundkar was announced as a recipient of the President's Police Medal for Gallantry on the eve of Republic Day in 2017.

On 31 January 2017, a kidnapping case was registered, following which Kurundkar, who was attached to the Thane Rural Police, was arrested on 7 December 2017.

Kurundkar was later dismissed from the police force.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Sangeeta Shinde Alphonso, who is currently posted in Palghar, hed the investigations.

After murdering Bidre-Gore at his Bhayander residence in Thane district, the accused cut her body into parts, stuffed it in two trunks and sacks and dumped it into the Vasai creek. The body was never found.

However, the police built their case based on Call Data Records (CDRs), statements of witnesses, Chemical Analysis reports and other circumstantial evidence - which was very challenging for the investigators.