Pune Court sends IAS probationer Puja Khedkar's mother to 14 days judicial custody

In a significant development, a Pune district court has ordered the judicial custody of Manorama Khedkar, mother of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, following her arrest for allegedly threatening individuals with a firearm over a land dispute.

The judicial magistrate first class remanded Manorama Khedkar to 14 days of judicial custody after her police custody concluded on Monday. She was apprehended on July 18 from a lodge in Hirkaniwadi village near Mahad, Raigad district.

The search for Manorama and her husband, Dilip Khedkar, was initiated after a video surfaced depicting her allegedly brandishing a gun and threatening several individuals over a land dispute in Dhadwali village, located in Pune's Mulshi tehsil. The incident reportedly occurred in 2023, prompting the authorities to take action.

The Paud police in Pune rural area have charged the Khedkar couple, along with five other individuals, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 307 (attempt to murder), 144 (unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapons), 147 (rioting), and 506 (criminal intimidation). Additionally, the Arms Act has been invoked in this case.

During the investigation, police reported to the court that they had recovered a pistol and a car purportedly used in the crime. The involvement of Puja Khedkar, currently under scrutiny for her claims regarding disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) candidature, as well as her conduct during her tenure at the Pune collector’s office, has added another layer of complexity to the case.

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