Manorama Khedkar, the mother of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, was arrested by Pune Police for allegedly possessing an illegal firearm. This incident adds to the mounting troubles faced by the young bureaucrat, who is already embroiled in controversies surrounding her UPSC candidature and allegations of misusing her position.
The arrest of Manorama Khedkar stems from a viral video that surfaced online recently, showing her brandishing a pistol while confronting local farmers over a land dispute in Pune district’s Mulshi village. The footage, which has sparked public outrage, shows her in a heated exchange with a farmer, demanding to see land documents allegedly in her name. As tensions escalated, she waved the firearm threateningly before quickly concealing it upon noticing a camera recording the encounter.
After the video went viral, the Pune Police took action, registering a First Information Report (FIR) against her. The FIR also names her husband, Dilip Khedkar, a retired administrative officer, as an accused in the case.
Manorama was hiding in a lodge near the Raigad Fort in Raigad district when Pune Police arrested her this morning.
The Khedkar family’s troubles extend beyond this incident. Puja Khedkar, who secured an all-India rank (AIR) of 841 in the UPSC exam as part of the 2023 batch, has faced allegations of making false claims in her UPSC candidature and has been accused of misusing her power after assuming her post.
