The driver of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar's father has been arrested by the Navi Mumbai police in connection with a road rage incident that escalated into the abduction of a truck driver. The incident occurred on September 13 on the Mulund-Airoli Road in Navi Mumbai when a concrete mixer truck reportedly brushed against a Land Cruiser SUV. The SUV was later confirmed to belong to the Khedkar family.

Following the minor collision, a heated argument broke out between the truck driver, Chandrakumar Chavan, his 22-year-old helper, Prahlad Kumar, and the two occupants of the SUV. The occupants were later identified as Dilip Khedkar, Puja's father and a retired Maharashtra government official and political candidate, and his bodyguard, Praful Salunkhe. Kumar was allegedly forced into the SUV and taken to the Khedkar family's bungalow in Pune.

The police were able to trace the SUV to the Pune bungalow. When they arrived, Puja Khedkar's mother, Manorama Khedkar, allegedly obstructed their entry. She initially assured the police that she would bring the accused to the police station by 3 pm but later refused to cooperate. By the time the police returned, the SUV had been moved. Some reports indicate that she unleashed dogs to scare the police.

Praful Salunkhe, the Khedkar family's driver and bodyguard, was arrested in Dhule on Friday night. He was produced before the Navi Mumbai Belapur Court and remanded to five days of police custody. Dilip Khedkar and Manorama Khedkar are currently absconding. A case has been registered against them under section 367(kidnapping) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Pune police have also filed a case against Manorama Khedkar for allegedly obstructing police.

The kidnapping was allegedly motivated by a desire to obtain compensation for the damage to the SUV. According to police, the Khedkar family's phones have been switched off since September 14, and there have been no online transactions linked to them in the last few days.

This incident adds to the controversies surrounding Puja Khedkar and her family. Last year, a video surfaced showing her mother threatening a farmer, leading to Manorama Khedkar's arrest and subsequent release on bail. Puja Khedkar is also facing allegations of misrepresenting facts in her 2022 UPSC civil services exam application to avail reservation benefits. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has initiated proceedings against her, including lodging a criminal case for allegedly attempting to take the exam under false pretences. Delhi Police had also registered an FIR against her for multiple offences. Khedkar denies these allegations and claims that the charges against her are a result of a sexual harassment complaint she filed against an officer.