In order to answer the daughter’s quest of what happened to her mother, the father fought a battle of nine years to get justice for her estranged wife. Raju Gore (53), the estranged husband of slain cop Ashwini Bidre (38 as of 2016), who was brutally murdered by Police Inspector Abhay Kurundkar (61) at his Thane residence on April 11, 2016, was convicted by a Panvel court on April 5 for murdering Bidre..
The court, on Friday, would be hearing to the plea made by the daughter Suchi alias Siddhi of Bidre before sentencing Kurundkar and his two accomplices. “In the year 2016, on April 11 my wife was killed and on the same day of the year 2025, the accused will finally get his sentencing. My fight comes full circle with this,” Gore said.
Siddhi was just seven year old when the family learnt about the disappearance of Bidre. From around 2014, Gore and Bidre had been staying separately after she chose to go ahead with Kurundkar. “In the year 2012, Bidre and Kurundkar worked together in Sangli and worked in a sensitive case where in my wife recovered around Rs 1.25 cash in the theft case. When the chargesheet was filed, the amount was reduced to Rs 3 lakh which irked her. She along with Kurundkar who were on one side, fought with their superiors over this issue after which they got close to each other,” Gore said.
Gore and Bidre both belong to Kolhapur district and coming from nearby villages, they knew each other from 1997. Even as they had been wanting to marry each other, due to caste difference, the family decided to get the marriages of their younger siblings done first so that they do not face issues. “Her younger sister got married then my younger brother got married and finally we got married in the year 2005. She had been preparing for MPSC exams and in the year 2006 she joined the services,” Gore said.
When Bidre broke the news of staying separated from Gore, they decided to inform the family. Bidre’s father was angry on her while Gore and his family of the opinion to let her choose her life and live in her way and can visit the house whenever she wanted to meet the daughter.
Even as the couple were not in touch, Bidre’s father informed Gore first when he learnt of her missing. “The father got a call from her officer informing that she had not reported to work even after the 10 days leave she had applied for. He told me and we decided to wait for her brother in Germany to come to report a missing person’s complaint which was done on June 14, 2016.
“Navi Mumbai police did absolutely no investigations and instead whenever I met officers, they character assassinated my wife. The FIR was finally lodged on January 31, 2017 after the High Court ordered,” Gore said. He maintained that whatever decisions Bidre made in her personal life should not be a topic for discussion while investigating the case. “Above everything, as a person, she was a very kind person who was very passionate about helping others. She has been involved in many social work service. She deserved justice and my daughter deserved answers and hence I did not put my foot back in all these years,” he said.
While he put pressure on police to investigate the case by writing to chief minister, high court, Gore claims that Kurundkar tried to put pressure on him through various means and threats to back off. “Bidre’s maternal uncle who was also in police department and had once worked under Kurundkar had been stopping me from pursuing the case. He claimed that nothing would happen to Kurundkar due to the connections he has but my family and all my relatives supported my decision,” he said.
Gore, who was a Mahrashtra Navnirman Sena activist, started getting less involved in political activities and dedicated his time only for his daughter. “My only focus was to give all my time to my daughter. I would step out of house only when she was in school and once she is back, I would be with her all the time. In functions and social gathering wherein I was invited with my daughter, I would refrain from taking her with me to avoid any uncomfortable situation and questions before her,” Gore said.
Even as back then, she was not aware of why her mother had left her father, she was made aware that she was murdered by a police officer. She was actively involved in writing letters to chief minister for granting an appointment which was never granted. Gore said that they had sought appointment multiple times from DG police and Chief Minister but they were never granted.
