‘Not rarest of rare’: Navi Mumbai inspector who killed woman 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.
(With inputs from Umesh K Parida)