Controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar's gun-toting mother arrested

MUMBAI: Controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother Manorama Khedkar was arrested by the police for threatening farmers with a gun. Both the mother-daughter duo went into hiding after the video of the incident turned viral on social media.

Manorama was arrested from Raigad, and the police informed that a case had been registered for illegal possession of firearms and threats. The video was taken in 2023 during a land dispute in Mulshi village.

Manorama's husband Dilip Khedkar is also an accused in the case. However, he was not taken into custody. The video went viral on social media as allegations against Puja intensified. Manorama’s arrest comes at a time when her daughter Puja is facing various charges including possession of a ration card with a fake address.

The address given by Puja for the medical certificate is that of Thermoverita Engineering Pvt Ltd; the Audi car used by Puja was also registered in the name of the same company. According to the report, there are some tax arrears of Rs 2.70 lakh on behalf of the company that have not been paid for three years.

Puja also produced a fake ration card with the same address. This ration card was submitted to the hospital when she applied for a medical certificate stating that she was a differently-abled person. The certificate states that her knee is seven per cent disabled. Puja's father is a retired director of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. The Anti-Corruption Squad (ACB) has submitted an inquiry report into the assets of Dilip Khedkar.

The report was filed on the allegation that Dilip Khedkar had acquired property illegally during his tenure in office. The central government is also investigating the case while Puja dismissed all this as rumours.