Sat Sep 20 08:02:46 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Bodyguard Arrested in Truck Driver Abduction Case; Ex-IAS Probationer’s Parents Still At Large**

**Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra -** Praful Salunkhe, the family bodyguard and driver of the Khedkar family, has been apprehended by police in Dhule, Maharashtra, in connection with the abduction of a truck driver earlier this month. Salunkhe appeared before the Navi Mumbai Belapur Court on Saturday and was remanded to five days of police custody.

The abduction stemmed from a road rage incident on the Mulund-Airoli Road, where a concrete mixer truck driven by Prahlad Kumar, 22, allegedly brushed against a Land Cruiser occupied by Dilip Khedkar, the father of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, and Salunkhe. Police allege that Khedkar and Salunkhe then forced Kumar into the SUV and transported him to the Khedkar family’s bungalow in an attempt to extort compensation for the damage to the vehicle.

Upon locating the truck driver’s whereabouts, police were initially obstructed by Manorama Khedkar, Puja’s mother, who later promised to bring the suspects to the police station. However, she failed to follow through, and authorities discovered that Dilip Khedkar and Salunkhe had fled. Manorama Khedkar further hindered the investigation by releasing dogs on the police officers.

The truck driver, Prahlad Kumar, has since been rescued.

Dilip and Manorama Khedkar remain at large, with police suspecting they may have left the country. Authorities are continuing their search.

The Khedkar family has a history of legal troubles. Puja Khedkar, a former IAS probationer, faced investigations in 2024 regarding alleged misuse of power and fraudulent claims during her UPSC application. Months later, Manorama Khedkar was arrested after a video surfaced showing her brandishing a gun during a land dispute. She was later released on bail.

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