Police Custody of Ex-Minister Eknath Khadse’s Son-in-Law Extended in Pune Rave Party Case; Cops Suspect Similar Past Events

Pune, 29th July 2025: Pune Court has extended police custody by two days for four of the accused, including Pranjal Khewalkar, while two female accused have been sent to judicial custody. Pune Police had sought an extension of police custody for all seven accused in the Kharadi rave party case, asserting that the party did take place and may have occurred on previous occasions as well. The seizure of phones and laptops from the accused strengthened their plea for a three-day extension, but the court granted only two additional days.

Two days ago, Pune Police raided a house party allegedly involving drugs and detained seven individuals, including Dr. Pranjal Manish Khewalkar, the son-in-law of former Maharashtra cabinet minister Eknath Khadse. The high-profile arrests triggered a political storm, with Khadse accusing the police of acting under pressure and leaking private images from Khewalkar’s confiscated laptop. He claimed the leak was politically motivated and intended to defame his family. However, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has denied these allegations.

In a remand application submitted to the Pune District Court by Senior Police Inspector Vijay Kumbhar, in charge of the Anti-Extortion Cell 2 of Pune Police’s Crime Branch, the following reasons were cited for seeking extended custody:

1. The seized cocaine and ganja need to be traced back to their source, but the accused are uncooperative and are giving vague and contradictory statements.
2. A man named Rahul allegedly arrived at the party venue on 25th and 26th July to prepare hookah, which requires further investigation.
3. It has come to light that Pranjal Khewalkar and others booked rooms at Staybird Hotel in April and May, potentially for similar parties. This needs to be investigated further to identify who attended.
4. The identities of others present with the accused on 25th and 26th July must be determined.
5. Digital devices seized from the residences of the accused require detailed technical analysis.
6. A total of 10 mobile phones have been seized. A preliminary review by a cyber expert revealed chats, party photos, and videos involving various women. Further investigation is required.
7. Interrogation related to the seized phones is pending, and analysis by the cyber expert on Digital Video Recorder (DVR) data is awaited.
8. When asked about three individuals who met them at the hotel, the accused gave evasive and inconsistent answers.
9. Accused number 2, Nikhil Poptani, and number 5, Shripad Yadav, have prior criminal records.
10. Given the seriousness of the crime, further investigation is essential.

Police also confirmed that CCTV footage and DVRs from the crime scene have been seized. A raid on Khewalkar’s residence resulted in the confiscation of two laptops, a pendrive, a DVR, cassettes, and a camera. Cyber experts found suspicious content on the seized devices.

Records show that in April, the accused booked three rooms for six people at the same hotel, and in May, a room was booked twice for two individuals. Blood and urine samples of all accused have been sent to the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) in Pune, and the report has been submitted. A preliminary report on the seized phones points to suspicious chats, videos, and photos.

The case is still unfolding, with further investigations ongoing. Pune Police have urged the public to avoid speculation and assured complete transparency in the matter.