IAS Officer Puja Khedkar's Mother Waved Pistol At Farmers During Argument, Old Video Goes Viral

Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s woes continue to increase amid a raging controversy of allegations of “misuse of power” against her. Now, a video of her mother, Manorama Khedkar, purportedly brandishing a pistol and arguing with a farmer in Pune’s Mulshi has gone viral.

While News18 sources said the video is old, the timing could not be worse for Puja, who is now under investigation for her conduct as a probationary civil servant. In the video, Manorama can be seen arguing in Marathi with a farmer, while holding a pistol in her hand.

According to reports, the Khedkars bought 25 acres of land in Pune district’s Mulshi taluka and allegedly attempted to encroach upon the neighbouring farmer’s land. After the farmer objected, Manorama arrived at the spot with bodyguards and allegedly threatened him, reports said.

Reports further said when the farmers tried filing a police complaint to file a complaint, it was not registered. Other media reports about a video of Puja’s mother threatening the media and hitting a camera surfaced on Thursday (July 11). This video, however, has not been verified by News18.

Social media users who shared the video of Manorama’s heated argument with the farmers said the entire family is engaged in “dishonest and illegal conduct”. Puja, who was transferred from Pune district to Washim in the Vidarbha region as an assistant collector on Thursday, has been accused of allegedly misusing benefits under the physical disabilities category and the other backward class (OBC) quota to secure a position in the prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

The Centre has also formed a single-member committee “to verify the candidature” of the 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre. In a statement, it said the probe will be conducted by an additional secretary-rank officer to verify the claims over Puja’s candidature and other details.

Puja Khedkar Tried to Press DCP to Free Man Held Over Theft, Says Official

According to the Navi Mumbai police, the controversial probationary officer had allegedly tried to pressure a DCP-rank officer to release a man held in a theft case. On May 18, in an incident at the Panvel police station, Puja allegedly phoned deputy commissioner of police Vivek Pansare and urged him to release a transporter, identified as Ishwar Uttarwade, who had been arrested in a theft case.

An official said she apparently told Pansare that Uttarwade was innocent and that the charges against him were minor. Though she had identified herself during the phone call, the DCP was unsure if the caller was indeed an IAS officer or an imposter, the official said. The police, however, did not act on the call and Uttarwade is still in judicial custody, the official added.

(With PTI inputs)