The Bombay High Court. File
| Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre
The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Dilip Khedkar, father of former IAS officer Puja Khedkar, in a case involving the alleged abduction of a truck cleaner following a road rage incident in Navi Mumbai last month.
Justice N. R. Borkar, while allowing the pleas, directed Dilip Khedkar to pay ₹4 lakh to the victim, Prahlad Kumar, within six weeks and deposit ₹1 lakh in the police welfare fund.
The incident occurred on September 13 on Mulund–Airoli Road when a cement mixer truck grazed Khedkar’s Toyota Land Cruiser. According to the FIR, Khedkar and his driver-cum-bodyguard, Praful Salunkhe, confronted the truck crew and allegedly forced Kumar into their SUV, claiming they were taking him to a police station.
When Kumar could not be reached, truck owner Vilas Dherange alerted the police. Investigators later found Kumar confined at Khedkar’s Pune bungalow. He was rescued the next day. Kumar told police he was kept in a watchman’s room, given stale food, threatened, and warned of harm if he did not pay for the damage.
Salunkhe has been arrested and remains in judicial custody. Khedkar, in his defense, claimed Kumar voluntarily accompanied him to assess car damage and left the next morning. The sessions court earlier denied bail, observing that Khedkar should have sought police help instead of detaining Kumar.
Khedkar’s wife, Manorama, also faces charges for obstructing police during the rescue but has secured anticipatory bail. The Rabale police have booked the accused under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with kidnapping.
Published – October 17, 2025 05:05 am IST
