Missing woman cop: accused’s Driver held

Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai police has arrested the driver of suspended police inspector Abhay Kurundkar who was arrested in December last year for his suspected role in the disappearance of his alleged live-in partner API Ashwini Bidre. Mr Kurundkar and his alleged aide Rajesh Patil were arrested in December 2017. Police officials suspect that Mr Kurundkar killed Ms Bidre who had gone missing since April last year and threw her body into the Bhayandar creek.

The accused driver, identified as Kundan Bhandari, was arrested from his Kandivali residence on Tuesday after investigators, who have been interrogating several persons in the case, found that Mr Bhandari had helped Mr Kurundkar in committing the crime.

A police officer said, “Mr Bhandari had been working with Mr Kurundkar for the past five years and through his call record details, was in touch with Mr Kurundkar on the day Ms Bidre went missing.”

Mr Kurundkar, who was attached to the Thane police, was suspended from duty considering his “involvement” in the alleged crime. Police sources said that Mr Kurundkar was being uncooperative by not answering the investigators’ questions and maintaining that he did not know Ms Bidre’s whereabouts. At the time of the incident, Ms Bidre was posted with the protection of civil rights unit at Konkan Bhavan in Belapur.

According to the police, Ms Bidre’s disappearance might be linked to a dispute between Mr Kurundkar and her.

has arrested the driver of suspended police inspector Abhay Kurundkar who was arrested in December last year for his suspected role in the disappearance of his alleged live-in partner API Ashwini Bidre. Mr Kurundkar and his alleged aide Rajesh Patil were arrested in December 2017. Police officials suspect that Mr Kurundkar killed Ms Bidre who had gone missing since April last year and threw her body into the Bhayandar creek.

The accused driver, identified as Kundan Bhandari, was arrested from his Kandivali residence on Tuesday after investigators, who have been interrogating several persons in the case, found that Mr Bhandari had helped Mr Kurundkar in committing the crime.

A police officer said, “Mr Bhandari had been working with Mr Kurundkar for the past five years and through his call record details, was in touch with Mr Kurundkar on the day Ms Bidre went missing.”

Mr Kurundkar, who was attached to the Thane police, was suspended from duty considering his “involvement” in the alleged crime. Police sources said that Mr Kurundkar was being uncooperative by not answering the investigators’ questions and maintaining that he did not know Ms Bidre’s whereabouts. At the time of the incident, Ms Bidre was posted with the protection of civil rights unit at Konkan Bhavan in Belapur.

According to the police, Ms Bidre’s disappearance might be linked to a dispute between Mr Kurundkar and her.