Controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother Manorama was arrested by Pune Police on Thursday (July 18) from Raigad District. An FIR was lodged against Manorama Khedkar after video showing her threatening a farmer with a gun in her hand went viral on social media just a few days ago. She was staying in a lodge near the famous Raigad Fort when she was arrested on Thursday morning.
Pune Police did not release any statement through social media immediately after her arrest.
In the video that led to an FIR against Manorama Khedkar, she can be seen in a verbal altercation with a farmer claiming that she owned the agricultural land they were standing on. At one point, she brandishes a pistol but quickly puts it away seeing that a video of the fight was being recorded. This is not the only video in which Manorama is seen brandishing the pistol.
The videos have compounded Puja Khedkar's problems and she is quickly losing the public perception battle. Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer, is in dock as it has been found that she misused non-creamy layer OBC quota as well as that for physically handicapped. Union Public Services Commission has now paused Khedkar's District Training has called her back to Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie for further 'necessary action'.
The Puja Khedkar saga
Khedkar's case came to light after Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase wrote a letter to senior state bureaucrats requesting her transfer out of his office due to her behaviour and demands for benefits not allowed to a trainee IAS officer. What started as a seemingly minor issue of behaviour soon blew up into a big national news after a lot of dirt on the Khedkars and Puja Khedkar herself. Now, a single member committee has been constituted to look into the matter and submit report within two weeks.
(With inputs from agencies)