Waving gun at farmers: Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s mother in custody
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Pune: Pune Police have detained trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s mother Manorama Khedkar for reportedly possessing an illegal firearm, causing more headaches to the officer facing allegations over her UPSC candidature.
Manorama Khedkar was seen in a viral video holding a pistol confronting local farmers in Pune district's Mulshi village over a land dispute.
She was seen in heated argument with a farmer over land documents allegedly in her name.
As the situation escalated, she pulled out a firearm threateningly but quickly hid it having noticed a camera recording the encounter.
Following the incident, Manorama was hiding in a lodge near the Raigad Fort in Raigad district when Pune Police came to detain her this morning. Once brought to Pune, she will be arrested, according to the report.
The Pune Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against her after the video went viral.
Her husband, Dilip Khedkar, a retired administrative officer, was also named in the FIR as an accused.
Having a history of corruption charges, he was suspended twice during his tenure of serving the government.
In 2018 he was suspended after the local sawmill and timber merchants association complained about him alleging he had demanded bribes like ₹ 25,000 to ₹ 50,000 for restoring power and water supplies. He faced another suspension in 2020 following similar allegations.
Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar secured an all-India rank (AIR) of 841 in the UPSC exam for the 2023 batch.
However, she faces allegations including misusing her power after assuming power, misrepresentation as an OBC candidate and unsubstantiated claims of visual and mental disabilities during UPSC exams.
Alongside, she is accuse of using a red beacon, VIP number plates, and a government sticker on her private Audi sedan.
