In a rapidly developing controversy, Manorama Khedkar, the mother of IAS trainee Puja Khedkar, is facing legal scrutiny after an old video of her brandishing a pistol at farmers in Pune’s Mulshi district went viral. The police are investigating whether Manorama had a license for the weapon, intensifying the ongoing probe into her daughter’s alleged misconduct.
The resurfaced video, showing Manorama Khedkar arguing in Marathi with a farmer while waving a pistol, has put Puja Khedkar under greater scrutiny. The timing of the video’s emergence compounds the controversy surrounding Puja, who is already under investigation for alleged misuse of power as a probationary civil servant.
According to reports, the Khedkar family purchased 25 acres of land in Mulshi taluka and allegedly attempted to encroach on a neighboring farmer’s property. When the farmer objected, Manorama allegedly arrived with bodyguards and threatened him. Reports further indicate that attempts by the farmers to file a police complaint were initially ignored. Additional footage of Manorama allegedly threatening the media and hitting a camera has also surfaced, although its authenticity remains unverified.
Social media has been ablaze with reactions to the video, with users accusing the Khedkar family of “dishonest and illegal conduct.” The controversy has had immediate repercussions for Puja Khedkar, who was transferred from Pune district to Washim in the Vidarbha region as an assistant collector on Thursday.
Puja Khedkar faces serious allegations of misusing benefits under the physical disabilities category and the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure her position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). In response to these allegations, the Centre has formed a single-member committee to investigate Puja’s candidature. The probe will be led by an additional secretary-rank officer, who will verify the claims and other pertinent details.
This scandal casts a shadow over Puja Khedkar’s nascent career and raises broader questions about integrity within the civil service. The Khedkar family has yet to issue a public statement regarding the allegations and the viral video.
