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Key Points:
Police rescued 22-year-old truck driver Prahlad Kumar from the Pune residence of former IAS officer Puja Khedkar.
Manorama Khedkar, Puja’s mother, obstructed the probe by misbehaving with the police, refusing to cooperate, and allegedly releasing dogs on the investigating team.
Puja Khedkar was earlier barred by the UPSC in 2024 for fraudulently availing caste and disability benefits.
Former IAS officer Puja Khedkar has landed in another string of trouble after police rescued a missing truck driver from her residence in Pune, on September 15, 2025.
The father of the barred IAS officer, Dilip Khedkar, and his bodyguard allegedly kidnapped the truck driver after their SUV collided with his truck. According to the police, the duo wanted the driver to compensate.
The case began on 13 September 2025, when 22-year-old Prahlad Kumar, who was driving a truck on the Mulund-Airoli Road, accidentally collided with a Toyota Land Cruiser. After the accident, two men came out of the SUV and forcefully made Kumar sit in their vehicle, claiming to take him to the police station. The truck driver went missing right after the accident.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pankaj Dahane of Navi Mumbai said in his statement that during the collision, both Dilip and his bodyguard were in their SUV. He said, “Dilip Khedkar and his bodyguard were in the car when the accident occurred. They kidnapped the truck's helper because they wanted him to compensate them for the damage caused to it."
The kidnappers allegedly drove him 150 km away from the spot of the collision and locked him inside a room. Assistant Police Inspector Kharat revealed that while investigating, they traced the SUV that had collided with the truck. The Navi Mumbai police traced the vehicle to the residence of ex IAS officer Puja Khedkar in Pune.
The police rescued the missing truck driver, who was locked inside a room. He was rescued from Khedkar’s house in Pune’s Chaturshringi. Prahlad Kumar was also beaten while he was held hostage. Police officials stated that Manorama Khedkar, mother of the sacked IAS officer, obstructed the probe to rescue the truck driver.
Manorama had previously landed in trouble for threatening a man regarding a land dispute while holding a pocket pistol in her right hand in Pune’s Munsi tehsil. Police arrested her from Hirkaniwadi village in Raigad, Maharashtra.
Officials stated that Manorama Khedkar refused to cooperate during the investigation. She misbehaved with the team and refused to open the door. She allegedly released her dogs on the team investigating the disappearance of truck driver Prahlad Kumar.
Authorities have initiated proceedings to register a separate case against Manorama for obstructing on-duty government officials at Chaturshringi Police Station. The police directed Manorama to report for questioning at the Rabale police station, Navi Mumbai. When the police visited their home on Monday Sept15 morning, they discovered that the couple had left along with their SUV.
According to Kumar’s complaint, police registered a case under the charges of kidnapping, Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The suspects, Dilip Khedkar and his bodyguard, have reportedly absconded.
The Khedkar family has previously been involved in other controversies as well. Former IAS officer Puja Khedkar landed in trouble when she wrongfully availed of the benefits of Other Backward Class and disability categories to secure a position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). In 2024, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) barred Khedkar from taking the exam again. [Rh/VS]
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