The family of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar has once again landed in controversy, this time in a serious kidnapping case. Three days after police rescued a truck cleaner from the Khedkar family’s Pune bungalow, officials revealed that her parents and their bodyguard have gone missing. According to the Navi Mumbai police, all of their phones have been switched off since Sunday, 14th September, and there have been no online transactions linked to them in the last three days.
“We are trying to trace the family, but they have switched off all their devices and are off the grid. We are now scanning CCTV footage around the bungalow to check which vehicle was used to escape,” a police official said.
The Navi Mumbai police have booked Puja’s father, mother, and their bodyguard in connection with the kidnapping, while Pune police have filed a separate case for obstruction of duty after Puja’s mother stopped officers from entering their house.
The kidnapping fiasco: Minor incident turned into heated exchange
The series of events began on 13th September when a concrete mixer truck brushed against a Land Cruiser SUV on the Mulund-Airoli road in Navi Mumbai. The SUV, police later confirmed, belonged to the Khedkar family.
The minor incident soon turned into a heated altercation involving the truck driver, Chandrakumar Chavan, his 22-year-old cleaner, Prahlad Kumar, and the two men in the SUV. The two men were later identified as Puja’s father, Dilip Khedkar, a retired Maharashtra government official and political candidate, and his bodyguard, Praful Salunkhe.
According to the police complaint, the two men forcibly dragged Prahlad into their SUV, telling the driver they were taking him to the police station. But instead of doing so, they drove him all the way to Pune, to the family bungalow owned by Puja’s mother, Manorama.
When Prahlad stopped answering calls from his colleague Chavan and the truck owner. But there was no reply; a kidnapping case was registered at Rabale police station based on a complaint by Vilas Dherange, the truck owner.
Obstruction at Khedkar bungalow
Using technical surveillance, police tracked the SUV to Pune and rushed to the bungalow. But when they reached, they faced unexpected resistance.
According to the officers, Manorama Khedkar came out of the house when they rang the bell, but refused to open the gate. She assured them she would bring the accused to the police station by 3 pm, but later refused to cooperate. By the time police returned, the SUV involved in the crime had vanished.
“A Rabale (Navi Mumbai) police officer rang the bell and asked the watchman to call someone from the house. Manorama Khedkar came out but didn’t open the gate. Police explained the purpose of their visit and sought her cooperation in tracing the two individuals and the car involved in the abduction case. However, she refused to open the gate,” the officer said.
Officials said Manorama Khedkar had helped her husband and his bodyguard to escape from their family bungalow in Pune and set ferocious dogs on a police team that had gone to rescue Kumar.
“Since no one was present to open the main gate, police personnel jumped over the iron gate and entered the premises. However, Manorama Khedkar was not found inside,” said Uttam Bhajanawale, senior police inspector of Chatushringi police station.
Police have now filed an FIR against Manorama for obstructing officers and aiding the accused in fleeing. Similarly, Navi Mumbai Police filed a case against Dilip Khedkar and his bodyguard under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) on charges of kidnapping. “We have launched a joint investigation, and the accused are likely to apply for anticipatory bail. Until then, they may try to remain underground,” a senior official said.
Puja Khedkar gained nationwide limelight in 2023
This appalling incident is merely the latest among a series of controversies involving the Khedkar family. Puja initially gained national attention in 2023, not for her accomplishments but for controversy surrounding her eligibility to join the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) after her UPSC exam in the year 2022.
As a probationary officer, Puja created outrage in Pune when she insisted on a separate cabin, personal staff, and even travelled in a private luxury car equipped with a beacon light, even though she was training. But the storm gained momentum only when questions were raised over how she had joined the civil services in the first place.
Probes showed that she had availed herself of benefits under the Other Backwards Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer quota as well as disability criteria. Critics accused her of presenting false facts to get a berth in the high-profile examination.
The matter snowballed soon after RTI activists and the media raised the huge wealth shown by her parents, which was much higher than the income threshold necessary for availing the OBC non-creamy layer quota.
Gun-wielding mother was seen threatening farmers
The scandal over Puja also focused unwelcome attention on her parents. Her mother, Manorama Khedkar, was shown brandishing a licensed pistol in an argument with farmers at Mulshi tehsil in Pune district in June 2023.
In the video, Manorama was accompanied by private bouncers and was seen threatening farmers during a land ownership row. Police later registered a case of rioting, intimidation, and violation of the Arms Act against her and several others, including Dilip.
Manorama was arrested in July 2023 from a lodge in Raigad district after evading the police for weeks. Authorities also initiated proceedings to review and possibly revoke her firearm license.
Dilip Khedkar under lens for wealth
Meanwhile, Puja’s father, Dilip Khedkar, who had served as a state government official, also faced scrutiny. He had contested elections unsuccessfully from Ahmednagar and declared assets worth around ₹40 crore in his poll affidavit.
This figure drew attention because the eligibility ceiling for non-creamy layer OBC quota is ₹8 lakh annual family income. Activists said that Dilip and his family owned far more wealth than what was permissible under the quota benefits his daughter claimed.
RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar pointed out that the family owned 110 acres of agricultural land, six commercial shops covering 1.6 lakh sq ft, seven flats, nearly a kilo of gold, diamonds, luxury cars, and even a gold watch worth ₹17 lakh. Puja herself, he claimed, owned property worth ₹17 crore.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) also began probing allegations of unaccounted wealth against Dilip, with reports that an open inquiry was underway into his assets.
A family mired in scandals
The Khedkar series shows a picture of a family repeatedly in conflict with the law. From abuse of caste and disability pensions to purported harassment of farmers, suspicions about unexplained wealth, and now a kidnapping, the family has made controversy their middle name.
The most recent case, however, is most severe. Kidnapping a young cleaner of a truck after a small road accident, keeping him hidden in their bungalow, and thwarting police officials indicates a clear escalation. With police from Navi Mumbai and Pune working together, several FIRs filed, and the family now on the run, Puja and her parents are in the limelight once again.