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Fresh breakthrough for Pune Police after IAS officer mother's Manorama Khedkar waved gun at farmers
Manorama Khedkar, mother of Puja Khedkar, was arrested from Raigad district in connection with a viral video in which she was seen threatening villagers.
The Pune Police has reportedly seized a pistol and three bullets from her house of Manorama Khedkar, the mother of controversial IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar, who was arrested for allegedly threatening some Maharashtra farmers while brandishing the gun.
Manorama Khedkar was arrested from Maharashtra's Raigad district on Thursday in connection with a viral video in which she was seen brandishing a gun and threatening the villagers, allegedly over a land dispute.
Watch the video here:
NDTV reported the police have also seized the SUV seen in the viral video which has triggered public outrage. Manorama Khedkar is facing multiple charges, including attempt to murder.
Manorama Khedkar, her husband Manorama Khedkar and three others have been accused of threatening one Pandharinath Pasalkar (65) with a gun over a land dispute at Dhadwali village in Pune's Mulshi tehsil on June 4, 2023.
Justifying the addition of IPC section 307 in the FIR, the prosecution told a court in Pune court in Maharashtra that the accused had put the gun on the complainant’s head. When she was about to pull the trigger, the complainant ducked in fear, while the other accused restrained her, police told the court.
Calling the accused “influential and politically active” persons, police said they wanted to confiscate the weapon and needed her custodial interrogation for that purpose. The prosecution also said police wanted to trace the other accused in the case.
Police said Manorama has some land in the Mulshi region of Pune district and they needed to check whether she had threatened any other people with the gun.
Who is IAS officer Puja Khedkar?
Puja Khedkar is 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.
On Friday, a criminal case was registered against Puja Khedkar for "misrepresenting and falsifying facts" following a "thorough investigation" by the UPSC into allegations of misconduct.
Puja Khedkar allegedly manipulated her identity to appear for the civil services examination multiple times, exceeding the permissible attempts, according to a statement issued by the Commission.
The UPSC has also issued a show cause notice regarding the cancellation of her candidature for the 2022 examination and is considering barring her from future exams, according to the statement.
After this, the UPSC filed a complaint with the Delhi Police.
Amid the row, the government on Tuesday put on hold the 'district training program' of Puja Khedkar, who was earlier transferred to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector from Pune, as she was summoned back to the Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for "necessary action".
(With inputs from agencies)
