Viral Video Of Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar's Mother Brandishing Gun At Farmer In Pune Sparks Outrage

The controversy surrounding IAS officer Puja Khedkar has intensified with a viral video showing her mother, Manorama Khedkar, threatening a group of men with a gun. The incident, which took place in Dhadwali village in Pune's Mulshi tehsil, involves a land dispute where locals allege that the Khedkars encroached on neighboring farmers' land.  In the video, Manorama Khedkar is seen waving a pistol at a man during a heated argument. The Pune Rural police have taken note of the video and plan to investigate whether she has a license for the firearm. 

 Shocking revelation: 2-month-old video shows #IAS trainee Puja Khedkar's mom threatening farmers with a gun to seize their land! Is this the kind of "public servant" we want? #PujaKhedkarControversy#JusticeForFarmers #CorruptionInIAS pic.twitter.com/l00N6vGJfT — Mr Professor (@HeistGenius) July 12, 2024

Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer, is already under scrutiny for allegedly posing as an OBC non-creamy layer candidate and claiming disabilities without undergoing required tests. The ongoing controversies have led to increased public and official attention on her and her family's actions.

According to an official, the incident in the video involved a land parcel purchased by Puja's father, Dilip Khedkar, a retired Maharashtra government officer, in Dhadwali village in Pune's Mulshi tehsil. Locals claimed that the Khedkars had encroached on the land of neighbouring farmers.

The two-minute video shows Puja Khedkar's mother, Manorama Khedkar, and her security guards having a heated argument with the neighbours. Manorama Khedkar can be seen yelling at a man while holding a pistol. She approaches him and waves the gun in his face, then conceals it in her hand.

Speaking to news agency PTI, a senior Pane Rural police official said, "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." 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.