Tech boost to find Bidre’s remains

Mumbai: The crime branch unit of the Navi Mumbai police headed by ACP Sangita Alphonso on Wednesday resumed the task of finding the dismembered body parts of missing API Ashwini Bidre in Versova creek near Ghodbunder Road, with the help of private divers and advanced technology. This comes exactly a month after the Indian Navy personnel returned empty handed following a two-day long operation in May last year.

Backed by a team of technicians and expert divers from a Nerul-based private company, which specialises in underwater search operation, the unit visited the creek on Wednesday. The cops have opted for the use of a powerful equipment called Gradiometer to conduct the search operation as the incident is more than 21 months old and the remains could be buried beneath several layers of mud. A gradiometer is helpful in archaeological, geo-technical and environmental mapping.

However, to minimise the use of the Gradiometer since it is a very costly instrument, the personnel are scanning the sea bed and studying the pattern of water and wind flow before embarking on an underwater search mission.

API Bidre was allegedly murdered, following which her body was chopped into pieces, stuffed into iron boxes and dumped into the creek in April 2016.  Four men including prime accused, suspended police officer Abhay Kurunkar, his friends Rajesh Patil, Mahesh Falnikar and driver Kundan Bhandari, have been arrested for their involvement in the gruesome crime and are presently in judicial custody.