Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s mother held & booked under Arms Act, father on the run

According to the police, Manorama Khedkar was hiding in a lodge near Raigad Fort when Pune Police arrested her on Thursday morning.

Manorama Khedkar, mother of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, being brought by the police to a hospital for medical examination after her arrest in a case of allegedly threatening some persons by brandishing a gun over a land dispute, in Pune district, Thursday, July 18, 2024.  Photo | PTI

MUMBAI: Controversial trainee IAS officer Dr Pooja Khedkar’s mother, Manorama Khedkar, was arrested on Wednesday morning in Mahad, Raigad. She has been sent to police custody until July 20 for brandishing a gun and threatening local farmers to seize their land. The police had requested seven days of custody.

According to the police, Manorama Khedkar was hiding in a lodge near Raigad Fort when Pune Police arrested her on Thursday morning. She used a fake identity card to conceal her identity and avoid arrest. Last Friday, a case was lodged against Manorama Khedkar, leading to her arrest under sections of the Indian Arms Act, as well as charges of threatening and attempting to murder. The farmers threatened by Manorama Khedkar lodged a complaint at the Pune police station.

Pune Rural Police SP Pankaj Deshmukh stated that several teams were formed and dispatched to various locations, including Mumbai, Pune, and Khedkar’s hometown of Pathardi. They succeeded in apprehending her at a private lodge in Raigad.

Following the emergence of a video, a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against Manorama Khedkar and her husband, Dilip Khedkar, based on a complaint by a farmer. After the video went viral on social media, both Manorama and Dilip Khedkar went into hiding to evade arrest. Pune police have yet to capture Dilip Khedkar, who is also accused in this case.

Manorama Khedkar, mother of controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar

“We cross-checked all the facts of the complaints before making the arrest. Everyone involved in this case will be called for inquiry,” Deshmukh said. On Wednesday, the Pune Municipal Corporation demolished the illegal portion of the Khedkar family’s wall compound. Despite receiving a notice, the Khedkar family refused to remove the illegal structure and even threatened the police who went to issue the demolition notice.

Meanwhile, independent MLA Bachu Kadu wrote to the state chief secretary, asking for action against the officers who helped Khedkar obtain fake certificates. He warned that if no action is taken within 15 days, he will protest outside the state chief secretary’s office.