Pune Police on Thursday detained Manorama Khedkar, mother of controversial probationary IAS officer Pooja Khedkar, days after she was seen wielding a gun and threatening local farmers in a viral video.
Pankaj Deshmukh, SP, Pune Rural Police, informed that Manorama Khedkar was detained from a hotel in Mahad in Raigad district of Maharashtra.
“We have detained her from Mahad. She is on her way here. We will question her and take further legal action. She was found in a hotel in Mahad,” Deshmukh told a news agency.
The gun-toting mother of the trainee IAS officer, facing allegations of misrepresenting her OBC status and making false disability claims to seek undue favour in UPSC exam, was on the run after an FIR was registered against her.
Earlier this week, Mr Deshmukh had stated that the parents of Pooja Khedkar were on the run and their phones were switched off.
“The accused are on the run. We are trying to contact them, but they are not reachable as their phones are switched off. We have also tried to reach their residence but they are not available…,” he had said.
Last week, the Pune Police booked the trainee IAS officer’s mother after an old video of her threatening a local farmer with a gun went viral on social media. The video showed Manorama brandishing a pistol during a heated exchange with the farmer.
The family had, however, argued that Manorama used the gun seen in the video to avoid further escalation of the argument and in self-defence. They also said they have all valid permissions for weapon possession.