'Divorce, marriage and then divorce again'

Maharashtra News — Image source: FILE IMAGE Puja Khedkar and his father Dilip Khedkar

After Puja Khedkar, her father, Dilip Khedkar, is now at the center of controversy, following his recent declaration of marital status in the affidavit filed with the Election Commission of India ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Dilip Khedkar, who filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Ahmednagar South constituency, declared himself as “divorced” in this latest affidavit, contrary to his earlier declared status of being “married” to Manorama Khedkar in the affidavit filed filed for the 2024 Lok. Sabha elections.

In his earlier affidavit for the Lok Sabha polls, where he contested the Ahmednagar seat on a Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi ticket, Khedkar listed himself as married to Manorama Khedkar and disclosed their joint assets, describing their household as a ‘undivided Hindu family’. However, the recent statement is in stark contrast to previously submitted information.

‘Divorce finalized in 2010’

It is pertinent to note that amid the controversy, a report by India Today stated that Dilip and Manorama Khedkar had first filed for divorce in the Pune Family Court in 2009, and their divorce was on June 25, 2010 by mutual completed with approval. Despite the legal separation, the two reportedly continued to live together at Manorama Khedkar’s bungalow in Pune’s Baner area.

Dilip Khedkar booked for threatening Tehsildar at Pune Collectorate

Meanwhile, in other news, Dilip Khedkar has also recently faced legal trouble after the police filed a case against him for allegedly threatening and obstructing an official at the Pune Collectorate. According to sources, the case arose around the time when Puja Khedkar joined the Pune Collectorate as a trainee IAS officer. The FIR mentions that Dilip Khedkar used to visit the office regularly, allegedly pressuring a tehsildar and other government officials to allot a separate hut for Puja.