‘Attempt to kill’ farmer: Court rejects bail plea of Puja Khedkar’s mother

Accordingly, the police produced Manorama before the court on Monday afternoon. The court remanded her to judicial custody. She then moved an application seeking bail through her lawyer. Opposing Manorama’s bail plea, assistant public prosecutor Amar Nanaware argued that since Khedkar is politically influential and the offence is serious, it is possible she would tamper with the evidence and cause hurdles in the probe if she granted bail.

Nanaware also submitted that if the accused is released on bail, there is a possibility she would commit a similar offence. Nanaware argued the accused was on the run after the FIR was lodged. So if she is released, there are chances she would escape. Thereupon, the court rejected Manorama’s bail application. Police said Manorama would be taken to Yerwada jail under judicial custody.

Based on Pasalkar’s complaint, the police had earlier this month booked Puja’s mother Manorama, father Dilip Khedkar, Ambadas Khedkar of Ambi village in Haveli, and others under sections 323, 504, 506, 143, 144, 147, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the Arms Act.

Police later invoked Section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC in this FIR, alleging Manorama was pulling the pistol’s trigger to kill Pasalkar, but he sat down and other accused persons present at the spot pulled her back.

The FIR was lodged after a video showing Manorama Khedkar brandishing a gun at a farmer surfaced on social media and TV channels. In the purported video, Manorama is seen accompanied by a few bouncers, holding a pistol while engaging in a heated argument with a farmer who ostensibly objects to her cultivating a disputed portion of the land.

As per the FIR, the alleged incident took place at the Dhadawali village in the Mulshi tehsil of Pune on June 5, 2023. After watching the video, the farmer Pasalkar approached the police and filed a complaint. Police have recovered a pistol, three live cartridges, one Land Cruiser car from the accused during investigation.

Meanwhile, a court in Pune granted ad-interim bail to Dilip Khedkar till July 25, while the other accused in the case are on the run, police said.

On July 13, Amitesh Kumar, the commissioner of Pune city police had issued a show cause notice to Manorama asking why her gun licence should not be cancelled.

The police commissioner asked Manorama to respond to the show cause notice within ten days, or else the process of cancelling her gun licence would be initiated.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) lodged an FIR against Puja Khedkar on Friday for allegedly “faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts beyond permissible limit”. The Commission has also issued her a show cause notice for the cancellation of her selection and debarment from future examinations.

Puja Khedkar had come into the limelight after reports about her alleged demands for a separate office and unauthorised use of a beacon a private Audi car had emerged. On July 14, the Pune traffic police seized the Audi car that Puja was using, citing inadequate documentation about the vehicle’s ownership and registration.

The police said the luxury car, registered in the name of a private engineering company, had 21 unpaid challans with compounding charges of Rs 27,000, which Khedkar’s family members have paid.