Maharashtra land dispute case: Court extends police custody of Puja Khedkar's mother till July 22

IAS officer Puja Khedkar`s mother Manorama Khedkar. Pic/Screengrab

A Pune court on Saturday extended the police custody of Manorama Khedkar, mother of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, till July 22 in a case concerning alleged criminal intimidation tied to a land dispute, reported PTI.

Puja's parents Manorama and Dilip and four others were arrested on Thursday after a video surfaced showing her allegedly threatening some persons with a gun over a land dispute at Dhadwali village in the district's Mulshi tehsil in 2023.

Manorama was apprehended on Thursday morning from a lodge at Hirkaniwadi village near Mahad in Raigad district, where she was hiding.

As per the PTI report, the prosecution told the court that they had recovered the pistol used in the crime. Public Prosecutor Amar Nanaware told the court on Saturday that the investigation had progressed as the police had recovered a pistol and a vehicle used in the crime.

Seeking her further custody, the public prosecutor said Manorama had disclosed the names of two male accused seen in the video but was silent on the other two unidentified female accused, reported PTI.

The Khedkar couple and other accused have been booked under IPC sections, including 307 (attempt to murder), 144 (unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 147 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation) besides invoking the Arms Act, reported PTI.

Khedkar's defence counsel Vijay Jagtap argued that the IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) is not applicable in the case as no bullet was fired and that she deserves bail.

A sessions court in Pune on Thursday granted interim protection from arrest till July 25 to the controversial IAS officer's father Dilip Khedkar.

Dilip Khedkar had moved the court seeking pre-arrest ('anticipatory') bail.

According to the PTI, Judge A N Mare granted him "ad-interim protection from arrest" till July 25, the next date of hearing, said a lawyer representing him. If the police arrests him before that, he will have to be released on bail, the lawyer added.

According to police, Manorama, Dilip and four others threatened one Pandharinath Pasalkar (65) with a gun over a land dispute at Dhadwali village in Mulshi tehsil on June 4, 2023.