- Dilip Khedkar denied allegations of kidnapping a truck driver after a road rage incident
- The truck driver was allegedly taken to Khedkar's bungalow to seek compensation for car damage
- Both Manorama and Dilip Khedkar were granted anticipatory bail in the kidnapping case
Dilip Khedkar, the father of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, on Monday refuted the allegations of kidnapping a truck driver following a road rage incident against him, saying they are "completely false". According to him, if the assault had taken place, then there would have been "medical evidence to prove it".
"All the allegations made against us are completely false. Nothing like what has been claimed actually happened. There is no question of us doing anything like that, because he was a helper. If such an assault had actually taken place, there would have been some medical evidence to prove it," he said.
The kidnapping case unfolded last month when a concrete mixer truck, driven by Prahlad Kumar (22), brushed against a Land Cruiser on the Mulund-Airoli Road, triggering an argument with two occupants of the car. Investigation revealed that Khedkar's father and his bodyguard allegedly bundled the truck driver in the SUV and took him to Khedkar's bungalow - in a bid to get compensation for the damage caused to the car.
When the cops traced the truck driver's location, Khedkar's mother blocked them from entering the premises of the bungalow, officials said. Later, she assured the police that she would bring the two accused, who were involved in the abduction case, to the Chatushringi police station in Pune by 3 pm. Believing her, the officials left the spot. However, when the police did not hear from Khedkar's mother, she refused to help.
When the cops returned to the bungalow, they found that the car involved in the crime was missing, along with Khedkar's father and their bodyguard. As they tried to enter the premises, Manorama unleashed two ferocious dogs to scare them. A day later, the police visited the bungalow again, but Manorama also fled.
The truck driver, however, was rescued.
Both Manorama and Dilip have been granted anticipatory bail in the case.
Earlier this month, Manorama said she is being "targeted" by the police.
"I am cooperating with the police in the investigation, yet I am being accused, targeted. I have not committed any crime, so there is nothing to fear. I have no involvement in this," she said.
The Khedkar family has been involved in many controversies in recent years.
In 2024, Puja Khedkar faced an investigation after allegations of misuse of power and false claims in her UPSC candidature. Months later, a viral video showed Khedkar's mother brandishing a gun during an argument over a land dispute, leading to her arrest for some time.
