Parents of Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar on the run after FIR for threatening farmer

Pune Rural Police reported that the parents of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar are currently evading authorities after an FIR was filed against them for allegedly threatening a local farmer. According to Pankaj Deshmukh, SP of Pune Rural, efforts to contact the accused have been futile as their phones remain switched off, and attempts to locate them at their residence have been unsuccessful.

Police officials, including teams from the local crime branch and nearby police stations, are conducting extensive searches across Pune and neighboring areas, focusing on farmhouses and residences where the accused might be hiding. Deshmukh affirmed that once located, the accused will be interrogated, and appropriate legal action will be taken.

The FIR stems from a viral video showing Manorama Khedkar, mother of Puja Khedkar, wielding a firearm and allegedly threatening villagers in Mulshi taluka of Pune district. The incident, recorded in June 2023 according to police reports, led to charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act against Manorama and Dilip Khedkar, along with five others named in the complaint by the local farmer.

The Khedkar family, represented by their legal counsel, has defended the use of the firearm in the video as a measure to de-escalate a confrontation and as an act of self-defense. They maintain that all necessary permissions for possessing the weapon are in order.