In a dramatic development, a truck driver allegedly abducted following a road rage incident in Navi Mumbai has been rescued from the Pune home of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar. The rescue brings renewed scrutiny to Khedkar, who was previously dismissed from the civil services over allegations of fraud. The Puja Khedkar truck driver incident is now under a full investigation.
The abduction took place on Saturday evening on the Mulund-Airoli road. The victim, Prahlad Kumar (22), was driving his concrete mixer truck when it brushed against a sports utility vehicle (SUV). Following a heated argument, the two occupants of the SUV allegedly forced Kumar into their vehicle and fled, under the pretense of taking him to a police station.
Acting on a complaint from the truck owner, Navi Mumbai police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for kidnapping. Using technical evidence, they were able to trace the SUV to a bungalow in Pune belonging to Puja Khedkar.
According to a police official, when the team arrived at the house, Khedkar’s mother allegedly tried to prevent them from entering and quarreled with the officers. The police eventually managed to enter, rescue Kumar, and bring him back to Navi Mumbai. While no arrests have been made, police have issued a notice to Khedkar’s mother to appear for questioning.
This incident has added another layer of controversy for Khedkar, who was dismissed from the Indian Administrative Service after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) found her guilty of cheating and wrongly availing herself of OBC and disability quota benefits. The police are continuing their investigation to identify the kidnappers and determine their connection to the Khedkar family.