In a courtroom in Navi Mumbai this week, police presented a series of allegations that cast the now-infamous "truck cleaner kidnapping case" not as a simple road rage incident, but as organised crime. The hearing concerned the anticipatory bail application filed by Dilip Khedkar, the main accused and father of former IAS officer Pooja Khedkar, whose name had earlier surfaced in a separate controversy over alleged irregularities in the civil services examination.
Police told the court that the case began with a seemingly routine road accident in Navi Mumbai's Mulund-Airoli Road on September 13, when a Toyota Land Cruiser owned by Dilip Khedkar allegedly grazed a mixer truck.
According to investigators, a furious Khedkar assaulted the mixer driver, quarrelled over damages, and then forcibly took the truck's cleaner, Prahlad Kumar, into his own vehicle under the pretext of going to the police station. Instead, police allege, Khedkar drove the cleaner to his home in Pune and locked him inside the basement of his bungalow.
This was no heat-of-the-moment clash, the police officer told the court, adding that it was a deliberate act and the man was taken by deceit and confined unlawfully.
As investigators tried to locate the missing cleaner, they tracked his phone signal to Pune. When police arrived, they say they were denied entry by Manorama Khedkar, Dilip's wife. She allegedly locked the bungalow gates and released dogs to intimidate the police. Despite resistance, Prahlad Kumar was eventually rescued from the premises.
According to the prosecution, while the police team was attempting to enter, Dilip Khedkar, his driver (identified as Salunkhe), and the vehicle were all present on the property. Officers said Khedkar assured them, "We'll come to the police station ourselves," and then fled the premises shortly thereafter.
Police also cited a phone conversation with Manorama Khedkar, during which she allegedly said, "We have nothing to do with this case. You do whatever you want."
Prahlad Kumar, the cleaner, is reportedly too frightened to provide a full statement and has been avoiding investigators.
Criminal background alleged
Police further asserted that both Dilip and Manorama Khedkar, though educated and former government officials, have criminal backgrounds. They were earlier charged in a case of land grabbing at gunpoint, and several cases involving their associates have also been documented. Reports detailing these incidents have been submitted to the court.
The investigating team alleged that the accused have not cooperated and have gone to great lengths to destroy evidence.
Crucial items, including the bungalow's DVR system, the SUV, and the mobile phones used, are all missing. Police said the digital video recorder could have contained key footage from the basement, where the victim was held.
The investigation cannot move forward unless the accused is in custody, the police told the court.
Non-Cooperation Despite Bail
Manorama Khedkar was granted interim bail last Monday, but police alleged she has since avoided all contact with investigators.
When the police went to serve her notice, she did not respond. Her lawyer, too, reportedly told officers, "There is no contact with Manorama now."
Attempts To Mislead Investigators
The police accused the Khedkars of deliberately misleading the investigation. On October 4, the day Dilip Khedkar's bail plea was filed, Manorama allegedly appeared at the police station after sunset -- despite the rule that a woman accused cannot be interrogated after sunset.
The timing was deliberate, police told the court, adding that it was intended to prevent lawful questioning.
Disputed Claims In Bail Plea
Police also took issue with several claims in the bail applications of the accused.
Manorama's petition stated that the victim was treated well, given "good food and facilities." However, in his statement, Prahlad Kumar alleged he was given stale food - which he refused to eat even when hungry - and was released only after sustained police tracing efforts, not "on his own," as claimed.
The "Rs 5,000 Argument"
Another point of contention arose from Dilip Khedkar's claim that the entire dispute stemmed from a Rs 5,000 argument with the truck driver. Police countered this claim in court with a pointed question:
"Does any part of a Land Cruiser cost ₹5,000?"
They described the statement as an "obvious attempt" to trivialise the incident and mislead the judiciary.
Organised Crime
Summing up their argument, the police told the court that this was not an isolated kidnapping but an organised crime committed by individuals with influence and resources.
"Such an act by a retired government official shows that he has no fear of the law," the police told the court.
Missing DVR
Investigators questioned why, if the case were as minor as the accused claimed, the DVR system from the bungalow had been removed or destroyed.
"If this was simply a road rage misunderstanding, why erase the footage?" the police asked.
