Pune: In a significant development, Dilip Khedkar, father of the controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar, has been granted anticipatory bail until July 25 by the Pune District and Sessions Court. The decision was made by Judge A. N. Mare following a plea by Advocate Sudhir Shah.

Puja Khedkar, who was serving as an trainee officer at the Pune District Collector's office, has had a tumultuous tenure marked by allegations of misconduct. This led to her transfer to Washim after an official report by the District Collector.

Further complications have arisen regarding the authenticity of documents submitted during her IAS selection, which are currently under investigation.

Compounding the family's legal troubles, Puja Khedkar's mother, Manorama Khedkar, was recently arrested for brandishing a pistol and threatening a farmer in Mulshi taluka.

Following this incident, Pune Police issued a notice to her at her Baner residence, and Pune Rural Police deployed multiple teams to locate her. She was eventually apprehended at a hotel in Mahad and remanded in police custody until July 20.

Dilip Khedkar, also implicated in the same case, managed to avoid arrest and secured anticipatory bail. The court's decision includes specific conditions and requires a bond of 30,000 rupees.

Dilip Khedkar had served with the Maharashtra government and faced two suspensions during his tenure. Additionally, while serving as the Director of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Khedkar was forcibly retired by the government.

From 2007, Dilip Khedkar served as a Divisional Officer in the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board in Kolhapur for three years. During this period, he was accused of various malpractices.