In a staunch denial of serious criminal accusations, Dilip Khedkar, father of the controversial former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, dismissed charges of kidnapping a truck driver as baseless fabrications on Monday. Speaking to reporters, he emphasized the absence of any supporting evidence, particularly medical proof that could corroborate claims of physical assault.
“Every claim leveled against us is utterly untrue,” Dilip asserted. “None of the events described ever occurred. We would never resort to such actions against a mere helper. Had any assault happened, medical records would undoubtedly substantiate it.”
The incident, which has drawn significant police scrutiny, dates back to last month on the Mulund-Airoli Road in Pune. A 22-year-old truck driver named Prahlad Kumar, operating a concrete mixer, accidentally grazed a Land Cruiser during a routine drive. What began as a heated roadside exchange between Kumar and the vehicle’s two passengers escalated dramatically, according to authorities.
Investigators allege that Dilip Khedkar, accompanied by his bodyguard, forcibly detained the young driver, bundling him into the SUV and transporting him to the family bungalow. Their apparent motive: to extract compensation for the minor damage inflicted on the luxury vehicle. Upon locating the driver’s whereabouts, responding officers from the Chatushringi police station encountered resistance. Dilip’s wife, Manorama Khedkar, reportedly barred entry to the property and later pledged to deliver the suspects—Dilip and the bodyguard—to the station by 3 p.m.
Trusting her word, the police temporarily withdrew. But when no one appeared as promised, and Manorama proved uncooperative, officers returned to find the implicated car vanished, along with Dilip and the bodyguard. A tense standoff ensued as Manorama allegedly sicced two aggressive dogs on the arriving team to deter them. By the next day, she too had absconded from the scene. Fortunately, Prahlad Kumar was safely extricated from the ordeal.
In a legal reprieve, both Dilip and Manorama secured anticipatory bail from the courts in the kidnapping matter. Earlier this month, Manorama voiced her frustration to the media, claiming undue persecution. “I’m fully aiding the probe, yet they keep accusing and singling me out,” she stated. “I’ve done nothing wrong, so there’s no cause for alarm. This has nothing to do with me.”
The Khedkar saga continues to unfold against a backdrop of prior scandals. Just this year, Puja Khedkar came under fire for alleged abuses of authority and fabricated details in her Union Public Service Commission application, prompting a formal inquiry. Not long after, a widely circulated video captured Manorama wielding a firearm in a heated land encroachment dispute, resulting in her brief detention.
As the family navigates these intertwined probes, questions linger about the veracity of the latest allegations and the broader pattern of confrontations that have ensnared them.
-
-
-
-
