IAS Officer Puja Khedkar’s Mother Arrested: Land Dispute Case

The Mother of an IAS Officer Puja Khedkar, Manorama Khedkar was arrested by the Pune police today, July 18 on the basis of possessing an illegal weapon. This entire situation adds more trouble for the young IAS trainee as she is already entangled in controversies regarding her UPSC candidacy and accusations of misusing her position.

Manorama was under cover hiding near the Raigad fort when the Pune police found her and took her into custody today morning.

The arrest came into the situation after a video of her waving a pistol at the local farmers over a land dispute in the Mulshi village went viral on the internet. The viral video ignited public outrage as she’s spotted in a heated exchange of words with a local farmer, asking to see the documents of the land in her name. After the heated argument went too far she waved the pistol at the farmer threateningly and hid it as soon as she noticed a camera recording her. 

After the video surfaced online and came to the Pune police, they took an immediate decision of filing a First Information Report (FIR) against Manorama. The FIR seems to also include her husband, Dilip Khedkar who was also accused in this case.

Manorama’s husband, Dilip Khedkar also has a history of charges filed against him of corruption and has also been suspended twice during his term as a government officer. He was first suspended in 2018 when he was on the post of a Regional officer. The local sawmill and timber merchants filed a complaint against him, accusing him of bribery ranging from 25,000/- to 50,000/- to restore their power and water supplies. Later he faced another suspension regarding the same issue. 

Puja Khedkar has secured an All India Rank of 841 in UPSC Exam in 2023, she has faced accusations on making fake claims in her UPSC candidacy and also on misusing her post after assuming. Accusations were, misrepresenting herself as an OBC candidate, claiming visual and mental disabilities in her UPSC exams and then she has also been spotted using a red beacon, numerous VIP number plates and having a govt. Sticker on her Audi sedan.