The Panvel Additional Sessions Court on Monday sentenced former police inspector Abhay Kurundkar to life imprisonment for the 2016 murder of Assistant Police Inspector Ashwini Bidre-Gore. Two of his associates, Kundan Bhandari and Mahesh Phalnikar, were sentenced to seven years in prison each for destroying evidence related to the case.

Bidre-Gore, who went missing in April 2016, was later confirmed to have been murdered. A prolonged investigation revealed that she had been in a personal relationship with Kurundkar, who had allegedly promised to marry her but later backed out. The case unveiled a disturbing narrative of betrayal and manipulation within the police force.