The Bombay High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Dilip Khedkar, father of suspended IAS officer Puja Khedkar, in a case linked to the alleged kidnapping and assault of a truck cleaner during a road rage incident in Navi Mumbai. The order was issued by a bench led by Justice N.R. Borkar, who imposed a financial condition requiring Khedkar to pay ₹4 lakh as compensation to the victim and ₹1 lakh to the Police Welfare Fund, totaling ₹5 lakh.
The case originated from a complaint lodged in September by Vilas Dhengare, a concrete transport business owner. The police said that Dhengare’s transit mixer truck, driven by Chandkumar Chavan, had collided with a car belonging to Khedkar on the Mulund-Airoli Road. Following the accident, it was alleged that Pralhad Kumar, the truck’s helper, was forcibly taken into Khedkar’s car by its occupants under the pretext of taking him to a police station. When Kumar failed to respond to calls, the driver and employer began searching nearby police stations, eventually filing a formal complaint.
A police investigation traced the car through its registration number to Khedkar’s residence. The subsequent probe led to allegations that the helper had been wrongfully confined and possibly assaulted during the night following the incident.
Khedkar’s legal team, led by senior advocate Ashok Mundargi along with advocates Abhishek Yende, Heanike Vyas, and Shubham Kahite, refuted the charges, presenting a different sequence of events. They argued that after the accident, both parties inspected the damage and agreed to get the vehicle assessed by a mechanic. When no garage was available, the truck driver allegedly requested that Khedkar take the helper along to find one. Khedkar reportedly returned home as it grew dark and claimed to have dropped the helper at a bus stand in Pune the following morning, around 9:30 a.m. The defence asserted that the accusations of kidnapping and assault were “baseless” and lacked corroborative evidence.
Additional Public Prosecutor Ranjana Humbane opposed the anticipatory bail plea, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the injuries sustained by the victim. Despite the prosecution’s objections, the High Court found no compelling reason to deny Khedkar pre-arrest protection, especially since he had cooperated with the investigation.
The court granted him anticipatory bail on the condition that he comply with the financial penalties and cooperate further with the police. The case adds to the controversies surrounding the Khedkar family, coming shortly after multiple disciplinary proceedings against his daughter, suspended IAS officer Puja Khedkar.
