Dilip Khedkar (father of ex-IAS officer Puja Khedkar) and his driver/bodyguard, Praful Salunkhe, allegedly kidnapped the aide of the truck driver, to demand financial compensation. The police are unable to trace Manorama Khedkar (in pic) as well. File photo
Mumbai police issue lookout notice for Puja Khedkar's missing parents
A notice was after a road rage incident in Navi Mumbai last week, where a concrete mixer truck collided with a private SUV owned by the Khedkar family
A lookout notice has been issued by police in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai against Dilip and Manorama Khedkar, the parents of ex-IAS trainee Puja Khedkar.
Khedkar was in the news last year for allegedly lying about physical disabilities and forging a backward classes certificate to clear the IAS exam.
A notice has been issued following a road rage incident that occurred in Navi Mumbai last week, where a concrete mixer truck collided with a private SUV owned by the Khedkar family.
The accident led to an argument at the site and escalated with Khedkar and his driver/bodyguard, Praful Salunkhe, allegedly kidnapping the truck driver's aide, 22-year-old PK Chauhan, to demand financial compensation. Chauhan also claimed he also faced death threats.
On the run
Chauhan was eventually rescued from the Khedkar's Pune bungalow; where he was found in the domestic help's quarters. However, Dilip and Manorama Khedkar were not traceable.
Also read: Sacked IAS officer Puja Khedkar's family caught up in abduction row
Both have been on the run for nine days now and may have fled the country, said reports.
Last week, when police tracked the truck driver to the Khedkar residence, Manorama Khedkar prevented them from entering the bungalow. She promised to present the accused at the local police station by 3 pm, prompting the officers to leave based on her assurance. However, she did not turn up at the police station.
When the cops returned she reportedly unleashed guard dogs at the cops. The police returned again 24 hours later. By this time Manorama Khedkar too had allegedly fled.
Police nab bodyguard
Dilip Khedkar disappeared soon after the truck driver was abducted. He and his bodyguard allegedly confined Chauhan inside the bungalow before fleeing the scene.
Days later, the bodyguard was apprehended and informed police that he had driven Khedkar to Ahmednagar and after that he told the police that he had no idea where Khedkar went. A fourth person, as yet unidentified, is also on the police's radar, sources said.
In recent years, the Khedkar family has found itself at the center of multiple controversies.
One notable incident occurred last year when a video went viral showing Manorama Khedkar wielding a firearm during a heated land dispute. The footage triggered widespread public outrage and resulted in her arrest from Hirkaniwadi village in Raigad.