Pune Police issues show-cause notice after IAS Officer Puja Khedkar’s mother brandishes gun in viral video

The Pune Police has issued a show-cause notice to Manorama Khedkar, the mother of controversial trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, asking why her gun licence should not be cancelled following a complaint by a farmer against Manorama, her husband Dilip Khedkar and five others over alleged gun threat, the Indian Express reported on Sunday.

Issuing a show-cause notice to Manorama Khedkar, Pune City Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta said that Manorama is not the right person for possession of a gun licence as she has allegedly caused a violation of the rules and regulations regarding the gun licence and that the possibility of her irresponsible act causing threat to the life of common citizens cannot be ruled out.

The report said the Police Commissioner asked Manorama to respond to the show cause notice within ten days, or else the process of cancelling her gun license would be initiated.

Earlier on Friday night, an FIR under sections 323, 504, 506 of IPC was registered at the Paud police station and charges under the Arms Act were included, ANI quoted Manoj Yadav, senior police inspector, as saying.

What's the case?

The FIR was registered after a video showing Manorama threatening a farmer with a gun went viral on social media. In the viral video, the mother of the controversial trainee IAS officer is seen brandishing a pistol while engaging in a heated argument with a farmer who ostensibly objects to her cultivating a disputed portion of a land at Dhadawali village in Mulshi tehsil of Pune. The Pune Rural Police later assured of a probe to ascertain facts of the viral video, including if she possessed a licence for the firearm.

"We have taken cognisance of the video that is circulating on social media platforms. Once facts are ascertained, we will start a probe. We will investigate if Manorama Khedkar has a licence for the firearm," news agency PTI quoted a senior Pune Rural police official as saying.

In connection with the episode, farmer Kuldeep Pasalkar claimed Manorama Khedkar was forcefully trying to usurp his land. "She has been threatening other farmers as well. She visited my plot along with some security guards and started threatening us while holding a firearm in her hand," Pasalkar alleged.

Meanwhile, Inspector Manoj Yadav of the Paud police station said they conducted the spot panchnama and recorded statements of the witnesses in this case on Saturday. “Investigation is on. We are gathering evidence.”

Who is Puja Khedkar?

Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer in Maharashtra, is accused of misuse of power, posing as an OBC non-creamy layer candidate in her UPSC candidature. She also claimed she was visually and mentally disabled but refused to take tests to corroborate her claims. Khedkar shot into the limelight after reports emerged about her alleged demands for a separate office, official car and unauthorised use of a beacon on her private car. Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase also sent a report about Khedkar and her father’s ‘objectionable behaviour’ to the state government.