Years after cop's murder, department 'transfers' her to another branch
An Assistant Police Inspector recently got transferred from Thane to Wardha branch. Sounds normal, right? Only in this case, the cop died years ago, when she was allegedly killed by her superior in 2016! It didn't stop there. The slain cop, Ashwini Gore-Bidre's husband discovered that five days after the transfer order, another official letter also released her from her 'current' department in Thane.
Bidre was allegedly killed by senior police inspector in 2016
On April 11, 2016, Bidre was allegedly murdered by Senior Police Inspector, Abhay Kurundkar, at his residence in Bhayander. He then disposed Bidre's body in the Vasai Creek the following day with the help of his friend Mahesh Falnikar. Three months after not being able to contact Bidre, her family registered a missing complaint at the Kalamboli police station on July 14, 2016.
Gore filed an RTI query regarding slow investigation by police
The complaint was followed by a slow investigation, which later revealed that Bidre was with Kurundkar on the day she went missing. Finally, on January 31, 2017, after filing a writ petition in the court, the Kalamboli Police registered a case of abduction and murder of Bidre accusing Kurundkar. Gore was, however, unhappy with the slow investigation, and filed an RTI query recently.
Transfer orders of Bidre were sent out after FIR registration
Gore initially thought that police are merely trying to prolong investigations. However, the RTI response showed after the FIR was registered, an order to transfer Bidre, who was with Protection of Civil Rights Branch, Thane, and two other officers was sent out in June, attested by Kaisar Khalid, Special Inspector General of Protection of Civil Rights Branch. Gore then suspected foul play in investigation.
'Want them to be booked for conspiring and hiring evidence'
"I thought this was it, but five days later, on June 5, 2017, Ashwini was released by her branch to Wardha office," Gore told media. He added that it was a "desperate attempt to save Kurundkar and others" and the top brass officials helped them. "I want them to be booked for conspiring and hiding evidence," an angry Gore lashed out.
We didn't have any documents claiming Bidre's death, says Khalid
In response to Gore's allegations, Khalid said, "We didn't have any documents claiming her death, and therefore as per routine process, we have transferred her." He added that as Bidre's post has been vacant since April 2016, they transferred her to Wardha "where there are two vacant posts" to "streamline their work." Notably, she's also alive in records and was paid till last June.
Previously, Excise Sub-inspector was transferred three years after his death
When Khalid was informed about Bidre's murder case, he said, "That's how it is, we've to work with a certain procedure, we are following that." Similar incidents of transfers of dead police officials have happened before. In 2016, Excise Sub-inspector, Sandip Sabale, was transferred from Daulat Cooperative Sugar Factory in Kolhapur to an Excise Flying Squad in Nashik district. He had died in 2013.
