Ashwini Bidre case: Cops restart search for remains armed with experts and engin

The Navi Mumbai police have roped in a private company to help in the search for Bidre's remains in Vasai creek. Pic/Hanif Patel

Nearly a month after stopping the search operation for murdered policewoman Ashwini Bidre's remains, the Navi Mumbai police are all geared up to make a fresh start. This time, they have with them a team of divers, engineers from a private company and officers of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), which visited Vasai creek last afternoon.

The engineers and oceanographers will study the creek's water flow pattern, to calculate how much distance the trunk must have travelled, and carry out magnetic imaging of the seabed for clues, a process which is likely to take a week.

The company will also be hiring the hi-tech and expensive gradiometer to search for the trunk in which the deceased's dismembered body parts were said to have been dumped. "The per day rent of the instrument (gradiometer) will be Rs 2 lakh. So, we have to make sure it's utilised properly and to its maximum potential," said an officer.

Early last month, the Navi Mumbai police had requested Navy divers to help in the search; nine divers had scoured the creek for Bidre's remains for two days but failed to find anything. The police had then called off the search and decided to take expert help. Over the last month, cops researched the companies having expertise in offshore diving and searching for immersed materials. "Yes, we have collaborated with a private company to search for the trunk. As the machinery that will be brought in is expensive, we will do our homework first," said an officer.

Also read: Navi Mumbai crime: Co-accused makes stunning revelations in woman cop Ashwini Bidre's murder