Family asks for CP Hemant Nagrale to be accused in Bidre case

Mumbai: The family of API Ashwini Bidre, who has been missing since 2016 amid suspicions that her alleged boyfriend Thane police (rural)’s police inspector Abhay Kurundkar is responsible for her disappearance, on Wednesday alleged that the Navi Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale is responsible for the delay in the probe and that he should be made a co-accused in the case.

Her husband and brother said on Thursday that the case was registered in January 2017 and it took 10 months for the police to arrest the accused, Kurundkar, in November, despite having videos and other evidence against him. The husband and the brother alleged that this delay gave the accused, Kurundkar, enough time to destroy the evidences.

On Thursday, Anand Bidre, the brother of the Bidre, alleged that they had contacted the Maharashtra DGP, who had asked them to meet Navi Mumbai CP Hemant Nagrale. He said that though they presented all evidences to the CP, the probe didn’t go any further. “We had filed a PIL in the Bombay high court for the case to be handed over to a senior officer as a DCP was appointed earlier and according to HC’s order, a new team, headed by an ACP was made in December 2016. The new team registered an abduction case in January 2017. But then too, the police arrested Kurundkar in November, ten months after the videos were found,” he added.

Ashwini Bidre’s husband, Raju Gore, said, “This is the negligent behaviour of the Navi Mumbai senior police officials, especially CP Hemant Nagrale, whom we have met twice to make the investigation faster. We are demanding now that Hemant Nagrale should be a co-accused in the case.”

Hemant Nagrale said, “I have heard that allegations are levelled against me by the relatives of API Ashwini Bidre. I would like to clarify that the investigating officer of the case is  ACP Nilewad, Panvel Division.”