Pune Rural Police Arrests Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar’s Mother in Illegal Arms Case From Raigad
Pune Rural Police Arrests Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar's Mother in Illegal Arms Case From Raigad
The Pune Rural Police have detained Manorama Khedkar, the mother of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, in connection with an illegal arms case. Manorama Khedkar was apprehended in Mahad, Raigad district, where she had been staying at a hotel. According to reports three police teams are currently bringing her to Pune.
Manorama Khedkar recently in a viral video was seen threatening farmers in Pune’s Mulshi taluka with a pistol. Her husband, former government official Dilip Khedkar, is also implicated in the case. The couple allegedly amassed significant wealth and acquired 25 acres of land in Mulshi taluka.
The Khedkar family reportedly attempted to expand their land holdings by encroaching on neighboring property, leading to an FIR being registered against Manorama Khedkar at the Paud police station. She faces charges under sections 323, 504, and 506 of the IPC, as well as under the Arms Act. An FIR was also filed against Dilip Khedkar and five others, according to a news agency.
In a related development, villagers from Bhalgaon in Pathardi taluka, the native village of Manorama Khedkar, issued a statement to the Collector of Ahmednagar, claiming she is being defamed. They threatened a strong agitation from Bhalgaon to Mumbai if the alleged defamation did not cease.
The villagers’ statement highlighted Manorama Khedkar’s contributions to Bhalgaon during her tenure as sarpanch. They recounted an incident on June 5 of the previous year, when they claimed some gangsters attacked Khedkar in the Mulshi area. According to their account, her security guards failed to disperse the assailants, prompting her to draw a licensed pistol in self-defense. The villagers argue that the current allegations are defamatory to the Khedkar family.
The statement also mentioned that a village delegation plans to meet with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to demand a transparent investigation into the incident.
