Pune: Manorama Khedkar, mother of IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar, had managed to flee from Pune using a fake identity and switching off her phone to conceal location.
However, a quick phone check-in by her on July 17, gave the important clue to Pune Rural Police who tracked Manorama's location to a hotel in Mahad.
Police investigations have revealed that Manorama Khedkar had booked a cab to reach Mahad. The cab driver was identified as Dadasaheb Dhakane.
The Aadhaar card used by Manorama was of the cab driver's mother Indubai Dhakane. Now, the Dhakane family may also land in trouble for assisting Manorama to evade arrest by providing documents to be used for falsifying identity.
A FIR had been registered against Manorama Khedkar for allegedly threatening farmers with a gun in a village in Mulshi Taluka. To evade arrest in this case, Manorama had planned an escape from Pune to Mahad.
She had booked a room in the name of Indubai Dhakane, using her Aadhaar Card details. Manorama had been living under that assumed name, making it difficult for the police to locate her.
However, the police tracked her mobile phone, which was turned on briefly at 11 PM on July 17, revealing her location. She was detained at 3:30 AM on July 18, that is withing 4 hours.
Manorama Khedkar has been remanded to police custody till Saturday (July 20). The prosecution argued that the pistol and Land Cruiser vehicle used in the Mulshi case needs to be seized. The prosecution also told the court that the accused is influential and could exert pressure on the complainant and other individuals.
