2016 Cop Murder Case: Ashwini Bidre’s Family Demands Death Penalty; Panvel Court Defers Sentencing To April 21

In Ashwini Bidre murder case, Panvel Sessions court on Friday heard the submissions by the slain cop's daughter, brother, father and husband on the sentencing and compensation followed by the arguments on sentencing of the accused Abhay Kurundkar by the public prosecutor and defence lawyer. The sessions judge KG Paldewar has adjourned the sentencing to April 21.

While demanding death penalty, the daughter Suchi alais Siddhi Gore (16), made her submissions that, “It is common to see cases to on for many years and justice not done. I am grateful that we have been given justice, and usually such cases take a lot of time. My mother was a police officer and I always respected the civil services and desired to join them. This case made me understand that some people have no humanity. It is not fair to take someone's life. They should suffer as much as they made my mother suffer.” Suchi mentioned that she always lived in a fear of losing her father as well in this fight. She appeared for her boards this year. “Many children had their mothers dropping them. This would hurt me. The society continues to be patriarchal. It does not have the mentality to let women be equal,” she added. Bidre’s father Jaykumar who too broke down like her daughter, in the court, said, “I brought her up without any discrimination between my son and daughters. We gave her the best possible education.” He too demanded for death penalty for the accused.

“We come from a small village which has no police station. Everyone steps in to take care of each other. What happened to my elder sister is something everyone in society should think of. See what her own fellow officer did to her. Everyone knows what was between them, their differences could have been resolved. What was the need to kill her. Police are supposed to be saviours, samaritan. Common man will first run to them when any incident happens. He has not only killed my sister but killed the trust of the common man. For such a person, none less than capital punishment should be given,” Bidre’s brother, Anand, said.

Bidre’s husband Raju Gore mentioned the lapses in Navi Mumbai police and alleged them of shoddy investigations in the beginning until the then inspector Sangeeta Alphonso was given the charge. “All attempts were being made by the police to help the accused Kurundkar. The then commissioner of police had insulted by wife by using derogatory terms while I went with my plea to investigate the matter,” Gore said while demanding for death sentence.

Gore also mentioned in his submission that they do not want any compensation from the accused. But if it's possible then their daughter should get the benefit of her mother's salary in her education. "If she would have been alive, her salary would have been used for our daughter's education. And hence the government should be asked to pay the salary that Bidre would have earned till her retirement for the daughter."

Public Prosecutor Pradip Gharat opened his lines from where Bidre’s brother ended his submission by stating that the accused has killed the common man’s trust on police. “The accused was a senior police officer who was supposed to maintain law and order and prevent crime. He himself committed this crime which increases the seriousness of the offence by manifold. Accused cannot seek age as a mitigating factor, was in his 50s when the crime happened. The accused took so many planned steps to destroy evidence. It showed his confidence that he can commit any crime. He made false entries in log books, govt records, he took her phone, switched it off and switched it on to send messages claiming she's going for vipaashna to prove that she's alive. When a police officer commits a murder of a lower rank officer, that too a lady, and cutting it into pieces and disposing to destroy evidence, it shakes the collective conscience. She was murdered for asking him to marry her. She had told her family that she was with him and she will marry him. He had a wife, two children and yet the promise of marriage was made,” Gharat said while making his submissions for the death sentence.

However, defence argued to leniency as there was no direct evidence in this case. They pointed out the possibility of rehabilitation. “Today, during the sentencing hearing, the prosecution sought the death penalty for my client. However, we strongly opposed this request based on key points. Firstly, the evidence against Kurundkar is entirely circumstantial and not unimpeachable in nature. There is significant room for residual doubt about his involvement in the crime. We also raised the argument for reform and rehabilitation, emphasizing that every individual, no matter the offense, deserves a chance for change. Finally, we urged the court to consider the principle of the ‘rarest of rare’ cases when applying the death penalty, as we believe this case does not meet such exceptional criteria. We ask the court for mercy and fair consideration based on these factors,” Advocate Vishal Bhanushali said.

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