Former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar’s driver arrested in Navi Mumbai road rage case
Former probationary IAS trainee Puja Khedkar’s driver has been arrested in connection with a road rage incident in Navi Mumbai.
Earlier on Monday, police said Khedkar’s father and his bodyguard had abducted a truck driver in their SUV. The driver was rescued from Khedkar’s Pune residence on Sunday, hours after the incident, which occurred on Saturday evening.
The incident occurred on Mulund-Airoli Road when a concrete mixer truck driven by Prahlad Kumar (22) brushed against a Land Cruiser, triggering an argument with two occupants of the car, a Rabale police official said.
Investigation revealed that Khedkar’s father, Dilip Khedkar, and his bodyguard, Praful Salunkhe, bundled Kumar into the SUV and took him to Khedkar’s bungalow in Pune.
Based on a complaint by the truck owner, Rabale police registered a case under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against two unidentified persons on Sunday. Police tracked the SUV to Pune through technical analysis.
When police reached the Khedkar bungalow, her mother allegedly blocked their entry, leading to a heated exchange. The team eventually entered the premises, rescued Kumar, and brought him back to Navi Mumbai.
Pune police have registered a case against Khedkar’s mother for allegedly obstructing police and issued a notice. Simultaneously, Navi Mumbai police registered a kidnapping case against the SUV occupants under relevant sections of the BNS.
Puja Khedkar has previously faced accusations of cheating and wrongly claiming OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination.
