Pune court sends IAS Puja Khedkar's mother to jail, denies bail plea

A Pune court on Monday remanded controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother to 14-day judicial custody in a criminal case linked to a land dispute and also rejected her bail plea, saying attempt to murder charge has been invoked against her and she can seek relief only in a sessions court, said the prosecution.

Manorama Khedkar, mother of the junior IAS officer, was arrested for allegedly threatening some persons with a gun over a land dispute in Pune district last year.

Manorama Khedkar was produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Paud area after her police custody ended on Monday.

 

As the prosecution did not press for her further police remand, JMFC Sudhir Barde sent the accused to judicial custody for 14 days, said Public Prosecutor Amar Nanaware.

The defence lawyer representing Manorama Khedkar then moved an application for regular bail. However, the JMFC pointed out that the offence under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder), which has been invoked against her, is triable only by a sessions court, and refused to interfere in the matter and rejected the bail plea.

Prosecutor Nanaware said the bail application was moved by the defence lawyer citing a Supreme Court ruling that a magistrate's court can give bail in cases tried by a sessions court.

"I then countered with a case law stating that IPC section 307 deals with a heinous crime against society and a JMFC court can not give bail and only a sessions court has powers to give bail (in such matters)," he said.
 

After being on the run for several days, Manorama Khedkar was apprehended from a lodge at Hirkaniwadi village near Mahad in Raigad district on July 18.

Police had launched a search for Manorama and her husband, Dilip Khedkar -- a retired Maharashtra government officer -- after a video surfaced showing her allegedly threatening some persons with a gun over a land dispute at Dhadwali village in Pune's Mulshi tehsil in 2023.

The Paud police in Pune rural had booked the Khedkar couple and five others under IPC sections 307, 144 (unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 147 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and also invoked the Arms Act against them.

On Saturday, the police had informed the JMFC court that they had recovered the pistol and the car used in the crime.

Puja Khedkar is under scrutiny for her claims regarding disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) candidature and conduct during her posting at the Pune collector's office.