A court in Navi Mumbai has granted temporary pre-arrest bail to Manorama Khedkar, the mother of former probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, in connection with a road rage case.

This development follows an incident earlier this month where a concrete mixer truck, driven by Prahlad Kumar, reportedly brushed against a Land Cruiser on the Mulund-Airoli Road in Navi Mumbai. The incident allegedly led to an argument with two occupants of the car, and it is alleged that Khedkar's father, Dilip, and his bodyguard abducted the truck driver, taking him to the Khedkar family's bungalow in Pune, seemingly in an attempt to obtain compensation for the damage to the car.

Following the incident, Puja Khedkar's family bodyguard, Praful Salunkhe, was arrested from Maharashtra's Dhule. He was produced before the Navi Mumbai Belapur Court and was remanded to five days of police custody.

The police suspect that Khedkar's parents, Dilip and Manorama, are currently missing and may have fled the country. A look out circular (LOC) has been issued against Dilip Khedkar, Manorama, and an unidentified person for evading arrest in the road rage kidnapping case. All exit routes are being checked to prevent them from fleeing the country.

Reportedly, Manorama Khedkar allegedly directed an aide to remove the DVR from the bungalow's CCTV system in an attempt to destroy evidence. Additionally, she allegedly gave her bedroom key to a person to remove the digital video recorder (DVR) of CCTV. This unidentified person is also being traced.

The Khedkar family has been embroiled in several controversies. Puja Khedkar, a former IAS probationer, has faced probes after allegations of misuse of power and false claims in her UPSC candidature. The UPSC initiated actions against Khedkar, including lodging a criminal case, for allegedly attempting to take the civil services exam by faking her identity. Delhi Police also filed an FIR against her for various offences. The Supreme Court granted Khedkar anticipatory bail, questioning the severity of her alleged crime.

In the past, Manorama Khedkar was arrested after a video surfaced showing her brandishing a gun during an argument over a land dispute. She was later released on bail.