Days after an alleged robbery attempt left five members of sacked IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s family unconscious at their bungalow in National Housing Society, Aundh, her father, Dilip Khedkar, has claimed the incident was an attempt to murder them. He also accused the Pune police of “double standards” and a lack of seriousness in the investigation claims the police have denied.The Chatushrungi police registered an FIR based on Puja Khedkar’s statement. The incident reportedly occurred during the night of January 10-11.
According to Puja, a newly hired domestic worker and his accomplices tied and locked her in a room, while five others including her parents, watchman, cook, and driver—were sedated. Some items were stolen from a cupboard. The police have named the domestic help, who is from Nepal, and six to seven accomplices in the FIR. The father of the prime suspect has been arrested, and a search for the others is ongoing.At a press conference in Pune on Tuesday, Dilip Khedkar said, “This was an attempt to murder us.
The drugs used to sedate us are not easily available at medical stores. To find the antidotes, we had to visit hospitals across the city and required ICU treatment. You can verify this at Ruby Hall hospital.”Referring to previous probes involving the Khedkar family, Dilip added, “When minor incidents occur on our side, the police and administration create a big fuss — even deploying multiple teams for investigations. But when we were fighting for our lives for five days, the police showed little urgency.
We provided details like names, addresses, and passports of the perpetrators within half an hour, yet they fled 2,000 kilometers away. There has been no progress in the case.”He also alleged police indifference and double standards: “In the past, police have even climbed over our gate to question us. But after this incident, no senior officer has visited.
While we were in danger, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar cancelled our firearm licence. My daughter identified the suspects who used sharp weapons, but instead of police protection, our licence was revoked. This was not theft or dacoity—it was an attempt to murder us using drugs.”Meanwhile, Puja Khedkar has formally requested Pune city police to conduct a thorough investigation, alleging attempted murder.
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