After over two decades of unwavering loyalty to India’s longest-running crime series, CID, the beloved forensic expert Dr. Salunkhe bid an unexpected farewell in the recent episode of season 2. Known and loved for his role as the sharp-witted forensic expert, Dr. Salunkhe’s final appearance in CID has stirred strong reactions across social media. Fans were left heartbroken and outraged as the iconic character was labelled ‘traitor’ in his farewell episode.
Narendra Gupta’s legacy
Narendra Gupta became a household name with his role as Dr. Salunkhe in CID, a crime show that aired on Sony Entertainment Television in 1988. While CID quickly became a cult classic in Indian television history, Gupta joined the cast early on and soon became an integral part of the core investigation team. His portrayal of the witty, no-nonsense forensic expert earned him immense love from audiences across generations.
Now streaming on Netflix with its rebooted CID Season 2 [from 2024], the series continues, but for the first time in over 20 years, it moves forward without Dr. Salunkhe.
Dr. Salunkhe’s farewell from CID
This season has been full of shocking revelations, We saw that ACP Pradyuman was shown dead because of Barboza, and the entire team got separated. Parth Samthaan entered the show as ACP Ayushmaan, claiming there is a ‘Gaddar’ among the team who helped Barboza. The last two episodes were a twisty ride as ACP Pradyuman was found and the entire story about Barboza was revealed. Barboza’s plan was seen as failing, but he was still not caught.
ACP Pradyuman thanked ACP Ayushmaan for holding the team together in his absence as he reunited with his team. Inspector Shreya returned to the show, and we saw an emotional reunion with Daya. Upon asking who the traitor was, ACP Pradyuman revealed that it was Dr. Salunkhe who helped Barboza with his dark and shady plan.
Dr. Salunkhe confessed, despising the CID team for taking the credit for solving cases from him. He was then put in jail, as his journey in the show ends as a ‘traitor’.
Outrage over Dr. Salunkhe’s farewell
Upon the knowledge of this unexpected and unacceptable farewell of Dr. Salunkhe, fans flooded social media with dissenting remarks. Fans are disappointed with the unnecessary storyline and the silly reason given for Dr. Salunkhe’s betrayal, bidding him a farewell with a ‘traitor’ tag is hard to accept for fans, so they are demanding his comeback or a proper farewell. Fans took their disapproval to X, with one of the users writing, “What have you done #CID2 team? Why did you make Dr. Salunkhe the villain? This is impossible to believe…”, another fan expressed “...I really hope this was planned, because we can’t accept this. He is the OG team member of CID…”
Expressing their disappointment, fans are speculating that Shraddha Musale, aka Dr. Tarika, will make her return by picking up Dr. Salunkhe’s duties.