The Pune Police detailed in court that Manorama Khedkar, her husband Dilip, and three others, described as “influential and politically active,” faced serious allegations. They justified the inclusion of IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder) in the FIR against Manorama, the mother of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, stating she had placed a gun on the complainant’s head and was about to pull the trigger before the complainant ducked. The other accused restrained her, according to the prosecutor’s statement in court, reported .
Manorama Khedkar was brought to the Paud Police station following her detention from a lodge in Mahad, Raigad district. She and her husband, along with three others, were remanded in police custody until July 20, in connection with a land dispute case. The Pune Police sought her custody to investigate the whereabouts of her husband and the others involved, and to confiscate the weapon used in the crime.
Pandharinath Pasalkar, a 65-year-old farmer from Dhadwali, filed an FIR against Manorama Khedkar, Dilip Khedkar, and several unidentified individuals under various IPC sections and the Arms Act. The police also added Section 307 (attempt to murder) to the charges after a video emerged showing Manorama allegedly threatening people with a gun over a land dispute.
The police claimed Manorama was uncooperative, hindering their efforts to find the other accused and the weapon. They described the accused as “influential and politically active,” necessitating custodial interrogation.
Defense counsel Nikhil Malani opposed the custody request, arguing that the complainant filed the case only after a viral video surfaced, and highlighted that IPC Section 307 was added abruptly. He contended that the case against Manorama was an “afterthought,” given it was registered 13 months after the incident.
The court, after hearing both sides, remanded Manorama in police custody until July 20.
Puja Khedkar faces scrutiny over her claims regarding disability and OBC certificates in her UPSC application and her conduct during her tenure at the Pune collector’s office. Amid the controversy, her district training program was put on hold, and she was recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for further action.
Additionally, the Pune Anti-Corruption Bureau received a complaint seeking an open inquiry into Puja’s father, Dilip Khedkar, a retired government official, regarding alleged disproportionate assets. An existing inquiry by the ACB’s Nashik division is already investigating these claims, and the Pune unit has sought direction on whether to incorporate the new complaint into the ongoing probe or conduct a separate inquiry.
