Maharashtra police inspector arrested for kidnapping female cop

The Navi Mumbai police on Thursday arrested a police inspector identified as Abhay Kurundkar attached with the Thane Rural police, for allegedly kidnapping a female police officer who has been missing since April 2016.

Police and family of the missing cop suspect Kurundkar kidnapped and killed her.

Police officers privy to the investigation said that the missing female officer and Kurundkar were in a relationship and he promised to marry her.

Assistant police inspector, Prakash Nilewad of Kalamboli late night on Thursday arrested Abhay Kurundkar. According to police the female assistant police inspector Ashwini Raju Gore alias Ashwini Bidre, 37, who were attached with the Human Rights Commission, Navi Mumbai branch went missing in April, 2016.

Bidre, a native from Kolhapur married Raju Gore in 2005 and also has a daughter. She cleared her MPSC in 2007 and became a police-sub-inspector.

Bidre later met Kurundkar a police officer in Sangli police station, and fell in love with him while on duty. Kurundkar had promised marriage to Bidrei, later Bidre got promoted and transferred to Ratnagiri police station and Kurundkar regularly visited her.

After a while, both of them were transferred to Thane and Navi Mumbai. Bidre started staying in Kalamboli area, while her daughter and husband stayed in Kolhapur after they learnt about her affair.

Kurundkar had promised Bidre that he would marry her but would get upset whenever topic came up and refused to indulge into a physical relationship.

"On the other hand, Bidre was forcing Kurundkar for getting married which he reportedly didn't want to," said a police official from Kalamboli police station.

When Ashwini went missing, her brother Anand Bidre lodged a complaint with Kalamboli police station of voluntarily causing hurt, kidnapping, adultery and criminal intimidation. A video recording of Kurundkar assaulting Bidre from 2014 is also in possession of police.

Anand made several rounds of the police station but nothing proceeded in the case.

Finally on Thursday, Kurundkar was arrested and will be produced before a court on Friday.

"We have arrested Kurundkar for kidnapping as of now and are inquiring him about Bidre. We are trying to find out if he killed her or what happened," said Nilewad.

Family members of Bidre allege that after killing her Kurundkar would have dumped her body in Thane's forest area.