Pune: Relatives of the slain Navi Mumbai assistant police inspector, Ashwini Bidre-Gore, on Thursday alleged some legislators from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were aware of her murder, and that the probe is being hampered by political pressure. Bidre’s husband Raju Gore, her father Jaykumar Bidre, and her brother Anand Bidre, were addressing a press conference in Kolhapur district.
Mr. Gore said three MLAs from the ruling party allegedly had full knowledge of the crime, and accused the police and the State government of not cooperating with the investigating team.
“Bidre went missing on April 11, 2016. On the same evening, three MLAs along with Rajesh Patil [BJP leader Eknath Khadse’s nephew] were sitting at a hotel in Andheri. There Mr. Patil received a call from the prime accused, inspector Abhay Kurundkar. Later, the four of them went to Mr. Kurundkar’s flat and spent a considerable amount of time there,” claimed Mr. Anand Bidre.
The Navi Mumbai police arrested Mr. Patil in December last year. Mr. Patil’s arrest proves the deep political-police nexus in the crime, said Mr. Gore.
Bidre’s kin demanded that Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale be named as a co-accused in the case for his suspicious role in the probe and that the case be transferred to a fast track court with advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor.
Tushar Doshi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Navi Mumbai, said the investigations are on the right path and there is absolutely no political pressure. “We have arrested four accused till now and have also enough evidence,” Mr. Doshi said.
On Monday, the Navi Mumbai Crime Branch with the assistance of the Navy began a search for Bidre’s body in Vasai creek. Tuesday’s search also yielded no result. Crime Branch sleuths are likely to approach private petro chemical industries or any agencies with sophisticated machineries that could be used under water. “As of now, the search has stopped and we are trying to figure out how and which agency can be approached for the next operation,” Mr. Doshi said.
Bidre was allegedly murdered by Mr. Kurundkar and his three accomplices on April 11, 2016. Parts of her dismembered body are believed to have been thrown into Vasai creek soon after the crime.
(With inputs from Raina Assainar)
