The classes court docket in Panvel on Saturday convicted dismissed police inspector Abhay Kurundkar in reference to the 2016 homicide case of Assistant Police Inspector (API) Ashwini Bidre.
The court docket additionally convicted two others, Mahesh Phalnikar and Kundan Bhandari, for destruction and disappearance of proof beneath Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court docket is prone to pronounce the quantum of sentence for the convicted accused on April 11. One other accused, Raju Patil, has been acquitted within the case for lack of proof.
Extra classes decide, Panvel, Ok G Paldewar delivered his verdict on Saturday. The trial within the case started in November 2018 at Alibaug district court docket, which later transferred to the newly established Panvel classes court docket. The prosecution examined 84 witnesses.
Particular Public Prosecutor Pradip Gharat, who was appointed within the case in 2019, mentioned Kurundkar was convicted beneath Part 302 (homicide) of IPC and arguments on whether or not he’ll get life or demise sentence can be made by events on April 11.
Furthermore, he mentioned Patil was acquitted for ‘need of proof’ and two others have been convicted for offences punishable beneath Part 201 (inflicting disappearance of proof) of IPC. “We are going to search most punishment for the accused,” Gharat mentioned.
Bidre had gone lacking in April 2016 after which her brother Anand lodged a lacking case in Kalamboli police station in Panvel. Nevertheless, the police allegedly didn’t take any motion till late 2017 when accused Kurundkar was arrested together with two others for her abduction and homicide.
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Police arrested Kurundkar on December 7, 2017, who was allegedly in a relationship with Bidre, claiming that he killed her at his Bhayander residence on April 11, 2016, and dismembered her physique with the assistance of sharp weapon and stuffed it in two iron trunks and dumped them into the creek. As per police, Kurundkar used heavy trunks to make sure that the physique wouldn’t float.
The police had additionally arrested Patil, with whom Kurundkar had allegedly spoken a couple of hours after the alleged homicide and Bhandari, who was Kurundkar’s driver. In 2018, Phalnikar, a Pune-based banker, who’s Kurundkar’s childhood good friend, was arrested, after which the police began scouring the Vasai creek for trunks, which went on for 2 years. Nevertheless, the identical was not discovered.
The police constructed their case based mostly on Name Knowledge Information (CDRs), statements of witnesses, Chemical Evaluation studies and different circumstantial proof amongst different items of proof.
Gharat mentioned that Kurundkar couldn’t have been let off merely as a result of the physique and weapon was not discovered, as there was “incriminating’ materials together with sturdy scientific proof, which have been in opposition to the accused, which negated his false claims.
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The police mentioned that as per CDR, her cellular was switched off on April 11 that 12 months and his cellular location was additionally traced close to the creek. On April 14, as per police, the accused switched on her cellular for 2-3 minutes to ship messages to everybody. Gharat argued that Kurundkar had made a false declare that her cellular was off as a result of she had gone for Vipassana session at a centre in Igatpuri, Nashik.
Furthermore, he argued that Kurundkar made false entries within the police register claiming that he was on patrolling responsibility at related time, whereas his location was traced at his residence and later close to the creek. Gharat additionally mentioned that Kurundkar had instructed his constable to purchase a ‘sickle’ from a Thane store and the cellular location confirmed the identical.
“If Kurundkar was not responsible, as an atypical prudent particular person, he ought to have gotten disturbed after she went lacking and would have advised and guaranteed her relations that he’ll make efforts to search out her. However he didn’t, and as a substitute requested them to go away,” Gharat mentioned.
In Could 2018, Bidre’s household had claimed that the investigating businesses have been shielding Kurundkar and three others. In October that 12 months, Navi Mumbai Police knowledgeable her household that advocate Ujjwal Nikam, whom they needed to argue the case, had declined their request to be the particular public prosecutor. Gharat was appointed as SPP in Could 2019 and initially wrote to the police commissioner, stating that officers weren’t cooperating with him regardless of his appointment.
