Inspector Abhay Kurundkar Found Guilty of Murder

Photo: Instagram

A court in Panvel, Maharashtra, has found police inspector Abhay Kurundkar guilty of killing his colleague, Ashwini Bidre-Gore, almost nine years after she went missing. This serious crime happened in April 2016, but justice is finally being served now in 2025.

Inspector Ashwini Bidre was working as an Assistant Police Inspector. She was in a relationship with Kurundkar, who later murdered her after a fight. According to reports, he killed her, cut her body into pieces, and packed the parts in a trunk and a sack. Then, he threw them into the Vasai creek. Sadly, her body was never found.

On Saturday, the Panvel sessions court gave its decision. The judge, K G Paldewar, said Kurundkar was guilty not just of murder but also of trying to hide the evidence. Two other men were also found guilty for helping him throw away the body. One of them is Kundan Bhandari, Kurundkar’s driver. The other is Mahesh Phalnikar, a bank worker from Pune and a close friend of Kurundkar.

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During the court hearing, the judge was shocked to learn that Kurundkar received a President’s Gallantry Medal in 2017—one year after he killed Ashwini. The judge questioned how someone accused in such a serious case could be recommended for a national award. He said there should be an investigation against the police officers who supported his name for the medal, even though they knew about the murder case.

The court also found that Kurundkar tried to cover up the crime. Special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat told the court that Kurundkar made a fake logbook. He wrote false timings to show he was on patrol duty at the Thane Rural Crime Department during the time of the murder. But this was a lie, made to create an alibi and avoid getting caught.

Now, the final punishment (sentence) for Kurundkar and the other two men will be announced on April 11. On that day, the court will also hear from Ashwini’s father and daughter to decide how much compensation the family should receive.

This case is a heartbreaking story of how a police officer misused his power and betrayed the trust of his own colleague. After so many years, Ashwini’s family is finally closer to getting justice.