Latest news with #Bidre-Gore
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
API murder: Kin to seek death for cop from HC
Navi Mumbai: Over a month after dismissed decorated police inspector Abhay Kurundkar was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering assistant police inspector Ashwini Bidre-Gore, chopping up her body and disposing of it in 2016, her family said they will approach Bombay high court to seek death penalty for him. While sentencing Kurundkar (52), a sessions court had said although Bidre-Gore's body parts were never found, their absence was not an "absolute ground to exonerate the offenders", and that the case did not fall in the "rarest of rare" category to warrant death penalty, as sought by the prosecution. Bidre went missing in April 2016. Police filed a case after the family moved HC. Raju Gore, Bidre-Gore's husband, said, "The police commissioner on behalf of govt has to seek a report from the public prosecutor, Pradip Gharat. I have written to police. If the police department and the state govt do not respond to my demand, then we will appeal in HC." He said he was facing difficulty in obtaining his wife's death certificate. "I have written to the police commissioner seeking my wife's salary for the period from when she was murdered till the sessions court's judgment. The police commissioner also needs to initiate disciplinary action against the investigating police officers who helped Kurundkar." Kurundkar's two aides —driver Kundan Bhandari and close friend Mahesh Phalnikar—who were convicted for helping him dispose of the body parts, were given seven years in prison each. The court held that the time spent by Kurundkar, who was arrested in Dec 2017, as well as by Bhandari and Phalnikar since their arrest in Feb 2018 would be set off against their sentences. Meanwhile, Bidre's daughter, Suchi, scored 97.2% in SSC exams. "I want to become a doctor. I wish to serve my country," she said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Time of India
Sacked Maharashtra cop gets life for killing API, chopping up body
NAVI MUMBAI: Dismissed police inspector Abhay Kurundkar (52) was on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering assistant police inspector Ashwini Bidre-Gore, chopping up her body and disposing of it in 2016. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He was convicted two weeks ago. Although Bidre-Gore's body parts were never found, a Panvel sessions court held that their absence was not an "absolute ground to exonerate the offenders". It, however, said the case also did not fall in the rarest of rare category to warrant death penalty, as sought by the prosecution. Additional sessions judge K G Paldewar also came down heavily on Navi Mumbai police for not taking prompt action and said the entire police machinery stood behind Kurundkar. It directed the police chief to initiate action against two officers over probe lapses. Two aides-driver Kundan Bhandari and friend Mahesh Phalnikar -who were convicted for helping Kurundkar dispose of the body were given 7 years in prison each. The court held that the time spent by Kurundkar, who was arrested in Dec 2017, as well as of Bhandari and Phalnikar since their arrest in Feb 2018 will be set off against their sentences. The judge said police officers Anil Survase and Kondiram Popere's lapses in investigation were "intentional omission" and should not be "exonerated". Bidre-Gore's brother had filed a missing person complaint in July 2016, but an FIR was lodged only in Jan 2017 and Kurundkar arrested that Dec. "It is painful that a lady police officer was brutally murdered and her torso and parts of body were in a creek. Despite that, police did not step into action to take cognisance of this crime promptly though sufficient evidence was before them," the court said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Holding that circumstantial evidence in the case was sufficient, the judge noted that it was established that Kurundkar wanted to get rid of Bidre-Gore, with whom he was having an extramarital affair , as she was repeatedly demanding that he marry her. "Thus, the homicidal death as well as the motive of the crime are established. The circumstances against the accused pointing towards his guilt are sufficient to establish the offence of murder even in the absence of the dead body." The prosecution had said Kurundkar had killed Bidre-Gore with the help of three others at his house in Bhayander, chopped her body into pieces, kept the parts in a refrigerator, and threw them into the Bhayander creek. Defence lawyer Vishal Bhanushali said an appeal against Kurundkar's sentence will be filed in Bombay HC. Special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat said the state may file an appeal against the time spent in jail being counted as part of Kurundkar's sentence. Bidre-Gore's husband Raju Gore said he will approach the high court to demand a probe by an independent agency against the police officers who allegedly shielded Kurundkar. Kurundkar had received the President's medal for meritorious service on Republic Day in 2017, months after the crime. While convicting him on April 5, court questioned how he had cleared the screening process for the award despite being under scrutiny. It had earlier acquitted the fourth accused in the case, Dnyandeo alias Raju Patil , the nephew of former cabinet minister Eknath Khadse, for lack of evidence. (With inputs from agencies)
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Time of India
Inspector who killed cop he had an affair with gets life term
Navi Mumbai: More than two weeks after being convicted for murdering assistant police inspector Ashwini Bidre-Gore , chopping up her body and disposing of it in 2016, dismissed decorated police inspector Abhay Kurundkar (52) was on Monday sentenced to life imprisonment . Although Bidre-Gore's body parts were never found, a Panvel sessions court held that their absence was not an "absolute ground to exonerate the offenders". It, however, said the case also did not fall in the rarest of rare category to warrant death penalty, as sought by the prosecution. Additional sessions judge K G Paldewar also came down heavily on Navi Mumbai police for not taking prompt action in the case and said the entire police machinery stood behind Kurundkar. The court directed the police chief to initiate action against two officers over lapses. Two aides—driver Kundan Bhandari (52) and close friend Mahesh Phalnikar (48)—who were convicted for helping Kurundkar dispose of the body parts were given seven years in prison each. The court held that the time spent by Kurundkar, who was arrested in Dec 2017, as well as of Bhandari and Phalnikar since their arrest in Feb 2018 will be set off against their sentences. The judge said police officers Anil Survase and Kondiram Popere's lapses in investigation were "intentional omission" and should not be "exonerated". Bidre-Gore's brother had filed a missing person complaint in July 2016, but an FIR was lodged only in Jan 2017. "It is painful that a lady police officer was brutally murdered and her torso and parts of body were in a creek. Despite that, police did not step into action to take cognisance of this crime promptly though sufficient evidence was before them," the court said. Holding that circumstantial evidence in the case was sufficient, the judge noted that it was established that Kurundkar wanted to get rid of Bidre-Gore, with whom he was having an extramarital affair, as she was repeatedly demanding that he marry her. "Thus, the homicidal death as well as the motive of the crime are established. The circumstances against the accused pointing towards his guilt are sufficient to establish the offence of murder even in the absence of the dead body." The prosecution had said Kurundkar had killed Bidre-Gore with the help of three others at his house in Bhayander, chopped her body into pieces, kept the parts in a refrigerator, and threw them into the Bhayander creek. Defence lawyer Vishal Bhanushali said an appeal against Kurundkar's sentence will be filed in Bombay HC. Special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat said the state may file an appeal against the time spent in jail being counted as part of Kurundkar's sentence. Bidre-Gore's husband Raju Gore said he will approach HC to demand a probe by an independent agency against the police officers who allegedly shielded Kurundkar. Kurundkar had received President's medal for meritorious service on Republic Day in 2017, months after the crime. While convicting him on April 5, the court had questioned how he had cleared the screening process for the award despite being under scrutiny. The court had earlier acquitted the fourth accused in the case, Dnyandeo alias Raju Patil, the nephew of former cabinet minister Eknath Khadse, for lack of evidence.
