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Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Indian Express
Khaki and crime: why criminality is creeping into Maharashtra Police ranks
On Tuesday, the Navi Mumbai police arrested two constables for alleged involvement in a drug syndicate in what was another troubling addition to a growing list of law enforcement officers in Maharashtra being linked to criminal activity in recent months. While some cases appear to be crimes of passion – such as a Panvel court's recent conviction of former officer Abhay Kurundkar for the 2016 murder of policewoman Ashwini Bidre – there is a disturbing rise in instances where police personnel are allegedly participating in organised crime. These include serious offenses like drug manufacturing, exemplified by the arrest of Mira Road Constable Pramod Kendre, who was reportedly producing mephedrone in his hometown of Latur. Criminalisation of the force is a spectre that has always haunted the men in khakhi, considering their unbridled power and contact with criminal networks as part of their jobs. An officer said that in the Mira Road case, arrested constable Kendre gained exposure to a drug racket when a local peddler he had nabbed bribed the police a huge amount to avoid arrest. Stunned to see the peddler's potential earnings from the drug business, Kendre allegedly used the informer to enter the drug trade. An officer said that while it has been a challenge to weed out the black sheep in the force, the collusion of personnel with drug networks is a worrying trend due to the lucrative nature of the drug trade. 'Production of mephedrone only requires the presence of a chemist and a lab, along with raw materials. The earning potential is quite huge as the manufacturing cost is around Rs 20-30 per gram while it is sold for Rs 1,800-2,000 per gram,' the officer said. 'In several cases, it begins with local police personnel taking money to turn a blind eye, and it later leads to collusion when they come to know of the high profit margins,' he added. An officer from Navi Mumbai police who had busted an international drug racket with the arrest of two constables and a customs superintendent, said, 'The superintendent told us that he had earlier reported the narcotics he had found, and cases were registered based on his action. He claimed that later, when he was offered Rs 1 lakh per kg of narcotics that he allowed to go through, he could not resist it anymore.' The malaise is, however, not limited to junior officers. In 2022, an extortion case was registered against IPS officer Saurabh Tripathi after he was alleged to have demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 10 lakh to allow angadias (who facilitate the transfer of money through an informal, discreet system) to run their businesses. While three junior officers were arrested, a chargesheet has so far not been filed against Tripathi. Former IPS officer-turned-lawyer Y P Singh said the police force suffers from 'hierarchical corruption' based on a policy of 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours'. 'The set-up has become corrupt with rampant politicisation of the force and uninspiring seniors. There is a proper nexus that operates and it is one or two who get caught while the corrupt system continues to function,' he said. Singh added, 'The senior officers have all cleared civil services exams and are the best brains in the country. If they can indulge in corruption, then what is the expectation from the constables? What cannot be cured, must be endured.' Former director general of police (DGP) and ex-chief of the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Praveen Dixit, said there is a need for strong internal vigilance to ensure that personnel who have such criminal tendencies are weeded out. 'One solution I had implemented during my time as the Maharashtra DGP was to launch the Police Mitra programme. Under this, two constables were paired with five respectable citizens and they were expected to work together. For local citizens, there is more at stake which ensures there is no scope for aberration. During my tenure as DGP, 5 lakh citizens had enrolled as police mitras,' Dixit said. Details of cases in recent years 1. Constable arrested for running mephedrone lab In April 2025, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Pramod Kendre, a 38-year-old constable attached to the Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar (MBVV) police, for allegedly operating a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Rohina village, Latur. Kendre, who came from a farming background, reportedly entered the drug trade with help from a police informer after being exposed to drug racketeers during his stint at Naya Nagar police station. Investigators believe Kendre was lured by the lucrative profits in the narcotics business after witnessing a drug peddler offer a large bribe. 2. DCP Saurabh Tripathi booked for extortion In 2022, Saurabh Tripathi, then deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Zone II, Mumbai, and three other officers were booked on charges of extortion and robbery following a complaint by the Bhuleshwar Angadia Association. Tripathi allegedly demanded monthly bribes of Rs 10 lakh to allow the angadias to operate. He was suspended following his arrest in March 2022, but was reinstated in January 2023 and is currently serving in the State Intelligence Department. 3. Crime Branch officers arrested in extortion case linked to former commissioner In November 2021, crime branch inspectors Nandkumar Gopale and Asha Korke, were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with an extortion case involving Param Bir Singh, former Mumbai police commissioner. The arrests followed a complaint by a businessman, and while the accused claimed the charges were fabricated, the officers were suspended and later reinstated in October 2022. In June 2023, a magistrate court put their trial on hold on a request by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). 4. FIR against 4 cops for planting drugs In December 2024, the Vakola police filed an FIR against four suspended officers from Khar police station after CCTV footage allegedly showed them planting drugs on a man. Sub-inspector Vishwanath Omble and constables Imran Shaikh, Sagar Kamble, and Dabang Shinde were charged with kidnapping, wrongful confinement, and causing hurt. The incident is believed to be linked to a land dispute, with the police allegedly acting on behalf of a developer targeting the complainant. 5. Constable booked for amassing illegal wealth In February 2022, the ACB booked Constable Suresh Bhimrao Bamne for possessing disproportionate assets valued at Rs 12.65 crore, 1,512 per cent more than his known income. His wife was also named in the case. 6. Policewoman caught smuggling gold at Mumbai airport In July 2023, Constable Sandhyarani Anandrao Chavan, who was posted at the Immigration Desk of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, was dismissed after being caught with 685 grams of smuggled gold worth Rs 35.50 lakh. The Customs Department discovered she was assisting a foreign national linked to a gold smuggling syndicate. 7. Cops dismissed for role in murder and rioting Two constables, Shyam Mahadeo Kuril and Tuljesh Fakirchand Kuril, were dismissed from the Mumbai police for their alleged involvement in a 2017 murder and rioting case in Hingoli. The incident stemmed from a violent clash over organising a dahi handi celebration, which resulted in one death and injuries to five others. The accused were allegedly part of a group that used swords and iron rods in the attack.
Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Indian Express
No body no crime? How Mumbai court awarded life sentence to ex cop, absent victim's body
On Monday (April 21), a local court in Maharashtra's Raigad district sentenced a former police inspector to life imprisonment for the murder of assistant inspector Ashwini Bidre-Gore on April 11, 2016. The court relied on technical and circumstantial evidence to arrive at its ruling to retrace a chain of events. The court established that she had visited his house that evening, where she was killed, and that he had enlisted two associates to help him dispose of the body. The trio dismembered the body and threw it in a creek using plastic bags and weights to keep it from floating ashore. The accused, Abhay Kurundkar claimed that the victim had not died but left for a Vipassana camp for meditation. His defence rested on the unavailability of her body or remains, as well as any trace of her DNA, blood samples and any physical evidence. Further, no murder weapon was recovered, nor were the purported plastic bags or weights in the creek, and no witnesses had seen him dispose of the body. Can courts convict a person of murder even if the body is not found? Special public prosecutor Pradip D Gharat said he had relied on corpus delicti to prove the crime. The Latin phrase, translating to 'body of the crime', is ironically referred to in various judgments by the Supreme Court, where the physical body of the victim of a crime is never found. The courts have said that the discovery of the physical evidence of the body being found is not the only mode to prove that a crime has been committed. They have said that in some cases it may be impossible for the body to be recovered, hence the prosecution could rely on other evidence. According to the courts, this would mean placing other circumstances before the court which sufficiently lead to the conclusion that 'within all human probability', the person has been murdered by the accused. 'In the absence of corpus delicti what the court looks for is clinching evidence that proves that the victim has been done to death. If the prosecution is successful in providing cogent and satisfactory proof of the victim having met a homicidal death, absence of corpus delicti will not by itself be fatal to a charge of murder,' the Supreme Court said in Rishi Pal vs State of Uttarakhand, 2013, one of the judgments referred to by Gharat. The SC judgment also refers to a time under the old English law when recovering the body was essential to convict a person of murder. It quotes judge jurist Sir Matthew Hale, 'I would never convict a person of murder or manslaughter unless the fact were proved to be done, or at least the body was found dead.' This caution was also exercised because those found guilty of murder faced the punishment of being executed. There are cited cases of murder convicts being executed in the 17th and 18th centuries, only for the 'victims' to reappear, with some having left their towns on their own. Hence, in cases where bodies are not found, courts have cautioned of the need for 'clinching evidence'. In many of the cases citing corpus delicti, the courts have acquitted the accused for want of evidence. What role did circumstantial evidence play in the court's decision? In Ashwini's case, the court relied on circumstantial evidence, with the prosecution led by Gharat aiming to establish that the circumstances are 'inconsistent with the innocence claimed by the accused'. While the accused claimed that she may have gone for Vipassana or had 'renounced the world' for spiritual reasons, the prosecution said that circumstances did not indicate that she had any such plans for the day when she went missing. For instance, she parked her car outside a railway station before leaving for Kurundkar's house, intending to return. Nor did she inform her landlord or her family, including the daughter she was fighting for the custody of, with her estranged husband. The prosecution also said that Kurundkar was unable to explain why he had made false entries in the police logbook about being on patrolling duty on the intervening night of the crime, or getting his flat repainted without asking the landlord. The call data records showed that they were in the same location, and Kurundkar's records corresponded with other locations of interest as well, like the creek where the body was disposed of. Kurundkar's lawyer insisted that there was no evidence – nobody had seen her with him, and there was no trace of Ashwini's DNA at his flat. 'The dead body of the deceased was not found is not absolute ground to exonerate the offenders. If it is so, then that would be an excuse to like-minded offenders to commit such mischief to exonerate from the charge of murder,' additional sessions judge K G Paldewar said in his order on Monday. Kurundkar's lawyer, Vishal Bhanushali, said that they will be approaching the Bombay High Court against the order. And how have courts dealt with such cases in the past? 01 KIRTI VYAS, 2018 In 2018, Kirti Vyas, a finance manager with salon chain BBlunt went missing in Mumbai. The police arrested two of her colleagues, claiming they had given her a lift from her home to work, strangled her in the car en route, and then disposed of the body in a secluded location, in a creek near Mahul in Chembur area of the city. While a search was conducted for the body, it was never found. In May 2024, the sessions court in Mumbai sentenced the colleagues, Siddhesh Tamhankar and Khushi Sahjwani, to life imprisonment, observing that the police had proved that Vyas was with the two of them before she went missing. 'Hence, only the accused know what happened with Kirti inside their car and non-availability of corpus delicti will not affect the merits of the case,' the court said, relying on other evidence including a DNA match to a blood stain found in the car, CCTV footage, location of the accused, and their post-crime conduct. 02 SADICCHA SANE, 2021 MBBS student Sadiccha Sane went missing on November 29, 2021, after being spotted last at Bandra's Bandstand area, by the sea. The Mumbai Police arrested a former lifeguard and his friend in January 2023, claiming that the lifeguard had got into a scuffle with Sane after making advances towards her, causing her death. His friend, the police alleged, helped him in disposing of the body in the sea. Sane's body, too, has not been recovered, nor has any other physical evidence. The two accused, Mithu Singh and Abdul Jabbar were granted bail by the Bombay High Court on April 2, which noted that the body was not found and other evidence can be examined at the time of the trial. The trial is yet to begin.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Time of India
API Ashwini Bidre-Gore murder case: Main accused Abhay Kurundkar gets life term
Accused Abhay Kurundkar NEW DELHI: The Panvel session court on Monday has pronounced the final verdict in the murder case of assistant police inspector (API) Ashwini Bidre-Gore. The main accused suspended police inspector Abhay Kurundkar was sentenced to life imprisonment. Two others, Kundan Bhandari and Mahesh Phalnikar, were given seven years each in prison. The verdict brings closure to the case that has been ongoing for nine years. Background of the case: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Ashwini Bidre-Gore, a police officer from Maharashtra, went missing in April 2016. She had been in a relationship with her colleague, Inspector Abhay Kurundkar, and the case began when she was last seen with him. After a dispute between the two, Kurundkar allegedly murdered Bidre, dismembered her body, and disposed of the remains in a creek in Vasai. Despite extensive searches, the police were unable to recover her body. Details of the crime: Kurundkar was found to have killed Bidre following a personal dispute. After the murder, he cut her body into pieces and placed the remains in a trunk and sack. He, along with the help of his accomplices Bhandari and Phalnikar, then dumped the body parts in the Vasai creek. The remains were never recovered, and her family lived in uncertainty for years, not knowing the fate of their loved one. The court's verdict: After a prolonged investigation, which took nine years, the Panvel sessions court delivered its final judgment. The court convicted Inspector Abhay Kurundkar of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for killing his colleague. Kundan Bhandari and Mahesh Phalnikar were convicted under Section 201 of the IPC for helping to dispose of the body and tampering with evidence. Unexpected recognition for kurundkar: A surprising element of the case was that in 2017, while still an accused in the case, Kurundkar was awarded the prestigious President's Medal for Gallantry. Judge K.G. Paldewar expressed astonishment that Kurundkar received such an honor despite being implicated in the murder of his colleague. The judge questioned the integrity of the police department, raising concerns over how Kurundkar's name had been recommended for the award while he was under suspicion. The judge suggested that an inquiry be conducted into the actions of the officers who had approved the nomination for the medal, considering that Kurundkar was already an accused in a serious criminal case. Role of the accomplices: The court also convicted Kundan Bhandari, who worked as Kurundkar's driver, and Mahesh Phalnikar, a close friend of Kurundkar and a bank staff member, for their involvement in concealing the murder and assisting in the disposal of the body. Bhandari and Phalnikar played key roles in helping Kurundkar cover up the crime. After the court's verdict, Phalnikar collapsed in court, indicating the emotional toll the verdict had on him. The role of technology in the investigation: The successful prosecution of Kurundkar was largely due to strong circumstantial evidence. Special Public Prosecutor Pradip Gharat pointed out the use of Google Maps data and tracking technology, which confirmed Kurundkar's presence at Vasai creek on the day of the murder. This critical evidence helped prove his involvement in the crime and was key to establishing his guilt. The prosecution also argued that Kurundkar had framed false records to create an alibi for himself. He had allegedly made false entries in the police logbook to suggest that he was on patrol duty when Bidre was killed. This manipulation of official records led to additional charges under Section 218 of the IPC (public servant framing incorrect records to protect someone from punishment). Concerns over police lethargy: The court was highly critical of the police for their slow response to the case. There were delays in registering the murder case, and the judge pointed out that political pressure may have affected the initial investigation. The judge reprimanded the officers involved in the delay and emphasized the need for disciplinary action to be taken against those responsible. This delay in the investigation led to a year-long period where the case remained unresolved, adding to the distress of Bidre's family. The "rarest of rare" case: Judge K.G. Paldewar described the murder as falling into the 'rarest of rare' category, highlighting the extreme brutality and callousness of the crime. The court acknowledged that Bidre's father and daughter, who had suffered deeply due to her loss, were the true victims in this case. The judge emphasized that they had lost not just a loved one, but a mother and daughter due to the brutal actions of a colleague. Next steps: The sentencing of the convicted individuals will be announced on April 11. Judge Paldewar has ordered that Bidre's father and daughter be heard on the issue of compensation before the sentence is delivered. This decision marks the end of a long battle for justice for Ashwini Bidre-Gore. The court expressed that they would ensure the convicted individuals face appropriate sentences, considering the severity of the crime. The legal response: In response to the verdict, Advocate Vishal Bhanushali, representing the defense, stated that his role as the defense counsel was to ensure that the trial adhered to the highest standards of fairness and due process. He acknowledged the emotional and intense scrutiny surrounding the case and emphasized that the defense had acted in accordance with legal procedures, despite the overwhelming evidence against the accused. This case has been a shocking and tragic reminder of the lengths to which people may go when abusing power and trust. The brutal murder of a police officer by her colleague, followed by a lengthy cover-up, has shaken the public's confidence in the justice system. With the conviction of Kurundkar, Bhandari, and Phalnikar, the court has finally delivered a long-awaited verdict. However, the questions surrounding police conduct and political influence in the case highlight the need for continued vigilance in ensuring that justice is served fairly and without interference.
