Mumbai: Cop suspended over alledged abduction

Mumbai: Police inspector Abhay Kurundkar, who was recently arrested for his suspected role in a case related to the disappearance of his alleged live-in partner API Ashwini Bidre, was suspended on Saturday. Kurundkar and his alleged aide, Rajesh Patil, were remanded in police custody till January 2. Officials suspect that Kurundkar killed Bidre, who has been missing since April last year, in 2016 and threw her body into the Bhayander creek.

Kurundkar, who is attached to the Thane police, has been suspended from duty considering his ‘involvement’ in the alleged crime. Police sources said Kurundkar has been uncooperative by not answering the investigating team’s questions and maintaining that he doesn’t know Bidre’s whereabouts. At the time of the incident, Bidre was posted with the protection of civil rights unit at Konkan Bhavan at Belapur.

According to the police, Bidre’s disappearance may be linked to a dispute between Kurundkar and her. Earlier, the Navi Mumbai police had found a letter written by Bidre to Kurundkar saying, “May your wish to kill me by breaking my bones come true.”

On December 7, the Navi Mumbai police had arrested Kurundkar on abduction charges, and on December 11 Rajesh Patil, nephew of former finance minister Eknath Khadse, was arrested. The Call Detail Records of Patil, Kurundkar and Bidre show that they were at the same place on April 15, 2016, the day she was last seen.