Bombay HC Quashes Order Cancelling Arms Licence of Former IAS Officer’s Mother

GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 3rd Dec. The Bombay High Court has quashed the order passed by the Pune police commissioner, which had cancelled the arms licence of Manorama Khedkar, the mother of former IAS officer Puja Khedkar. The court ruled on November 27, remitting the matter back to the Pune police commissioner for fresh consideration, citing that the earlier notice regarding the licence cancellation had not been properly served on Manorama Khedkar.

The case stems from a viral video in which Manorama Khedkar was seen brandishing a gun during a dispute over land in Dhadwali village. The incident sparked public outrage and led to her arrest on July 18, along with her husband and five others. They were charged with attempted murder, unlawful assembly with a deadly weapon, rioting, and criminal intimidation, in addition to violations of the Arms Act.

Following the incident, the Pune police commissioner issued a notice on July 23, calling for the cancellation of her arms licence. However, Manorama Khedkar challenged this order, claiming that she had not been given a fair opportunity to present her case before the decision was made. The court noted that there was no evidence to show that the notice, which instructed her to explain why her licence should not be revoked, had been duly served as required by law.

As Manorama Khedkar was in custody at the time of the hearing on August 2, she could not attend the proceedings. The court highlighted that this prevented her from presenting her case to the authorities.

The court’s ruling effectively quashed the police commissioner’s decision and directed the Pune commissioner to reconsider the cancellation of her arms licence, following proper legal procedures.

In a separate development, Puja Khedkar, Manorama’s daughter, was discharged from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) by the central government in September. She is accused of cheating and misusing the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits to gain entry into the service, allegations which she has denied.