PUNE: Where’s the pistol? The question is troubling Pune cops who arrested IAS officer Puja Khedkar‘s mother Manorama from a lodge in Mahad in Raigad on Wednesday.
Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural) Pankaj Deshmukh on Thursday said that the licensed pistol belonging to Manorama Khedkar, has not yet been found and she will be interrogated about its whereabouts.
In a viral video, Manorama was seen wielding a .25 Webley & Scott pistol and threatening farmers along with bouncers. Webley & Scott, a historic name in firearms, has been renowned for producing iconic weapons like revolvers, shotguns, and rifles over nearly two centuries.
The Pune City police have issued a notice to Manorama, demanding an explanation as to why her firearm license should not be revoked for breaching its terms. “We will review her mobile phone records and also summon the private bouncers for questioning,” Deshmukh stated.
The local crime branch tracked Manorama’s movements via cellphone tower data and detained her early Thursday at Parvati Nivas, a homestay in Hirkaniwadi, Mahad tehsil of Raigad district, about 140 km from Pune. “She was formally arrested at the Mahad police station around 7:30 am. We are still searching for her husband,” Deshmukh told TOI.
A farmer from Dhadwali has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Manorama, her husband Diliprao Khedkar, and several unidentified individuals under sections 323, 504, 506, 143, 144, 147, 148, and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as sections of the Arms Act. Additionally, the Pune Rural Police have invoked Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC against Manorama.