Mumbai:

Manorama Khedkar, trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s mother, has been charged with attempt to murder in connection with a video in which she was seen brandishing a firearm and threatening a group of villagers. She was sent to two days’ police custody after she was produced in court following her arrest this morning. 

Manorama Khedkar, who was on the run for days, was arrested this morning. Police have said she was hiding in a lodge at Mahad in Pune district after police started looking for her in connection with the viral video. The video showed her threatening some villagers, reportedly over a land dispute.

She has been charged under the Arms Act for brandishing her licenced weapon and relevant sections of the new criminal code, Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. Now, the attempt of murder charge has been added.

“Manorama Khedkar was apprehended from Mahad in Raigad district and she was brought to Pune where, after the completion of formalities, she was placed under arrest,” Pune Rural SP Pankaj Deshmukh has said.

In court, Manorama Khedkar’s lawyer said she has an arms licence. To this, the government lawyer said firearm licences are issued for self-defence. “In this case, she had security with her. There was no chance of an attack by the complainant.”

The video featuring Manorama Khedkar emerged amid the row surrounding her 34-year-old daughter. A senior’s complaint against Puja Khedkar for alleged demands of perks she was not entitled to set off in motion a chain of events that led to shocking revelations. Questions were also raised over how she cleared the tough selection process for UPSC. She was found to have availed of relaxation for physical disability and OBC candidacy, but allegations of her not being eligible for such relaxation surfaced.

Her two-year training has now been put on hold, and her selection into the IAS is being probed by a panel formed by the Centre.

Puja Khedkar’s father has also come under the radar after an investigation into his assets began. The retired Maharashtra government officer, it was found, was suspended twice on corruption charges after businessmen accused him of extortion.

New Delhi:

The training of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar has been put on hold amid allegations of misuse of power and privileges. Ms Khedkar has been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for “further necessary action”. Ms Khedkar was earlier transferred to Washim from Pune following accusations of manipulating disability and OBC certificates to gain entry into the civil services.

The General Administration Department of the Maharashtra government issued a directive stating, “You are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra.” The directive instructs Ms Khedkar to “join the academy at the earliest” but not later than July 23.

Ms Khedkar, a 2023-batch officer from Ahmednagar, claims to be the victim of a “media trial” alleging that a misinformation campaign has been waged against her.

The authenticity of various certificates submitted by Ms Khedkar to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is currently under investigation. These include certificates indicating visual impairment, which Ms Khedkar submitted under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category.

Despite being referred by the UPSC for a medical examination at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ms Khedkar reportedly missed six appointments between April and August 2022. In August 2022, she applied for another disability certificate from the Aundh government hospital in Pune, but her application was rejected following medical tests.

Ms Khedkar’s troubles began when she was accused of demanding unauthorised perks and facilities while serving as an assistant collector in Pune. Allegations include using a red beacon and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her private Audi car, occupying the office of Pune Additional Collector Ajay More during his absence, and demanding office furniture, letterheads, a VIP number plate, a separate house, and a car. These perks are typically unavailable to probationary officers who are still in their 24-month probationary period.

Following these allegations, Ms Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector. This move was seen as a temporary measure pending further investigation.

An RTI activist from Pune, Vijay Kumbhar, alleged that Ms Khedkar’s father possessed assets worth Rs 40 crore, which would place the family well above the Rs 8 lakh annual income threshold for any reservation benefits.

Ms Khedkar has stated her willingness to testify before the expert committee, expressing confidence that the truth will emerge. “Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out,” she said.

The Pune Police are also investigating Ms Khedkar’s parents in a criminal case involving her mother, Manorama Khedkar, a village sarpanch, who was allegedly seen threatening individuals with a gun over a land dispute in a video. An FIR has been filed against the couple and five others in connection with this incident.

Ms Khedkar has lodged a harassment complaint against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase. According to an official, women police personnel visited Ms Khedkar at her residence in Washim, where she filed the complaint.