Centre Forms Panel To Probe Puja Khedkar’s IAS Selection, Know The Charges Against Her

Mumbair: The 2022-batch probationary IAS officer, Puja Khedkar—who has made headlines for her alleged misuse of power—will now have to face probe.

The Central government has formed a one-member committee to probe allegations related to fake certificate and scrutiny at the time of her interview. Her conduct during probation will also be scrutinised by the IAS Academy. The committee will be chaired by a senior officer of the rank of additional secretary. The panel has been asked to submit the report in two weeks’ time, according to media reports.

According to a News 18 report, the Pune traffic police had sent a notice to Puja for using an amber beacon on her personal Audi car, which also had ‘Government of Maharashtra’ written over it. A legal action has been initiated against her under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act and for violating traffic rules on earlier occasions. The IAS officer is yet to pay the challan for the case, the notice cited. There is a pending penalty of about Rs 21,000 against her for violating traffic norms.

Earlier, the Maharashtra government had transferred Khedkar from the Pune Collector’s office to Washim based on the report submitted by Pune district collector, Suhas Diwase, to the Chief Secretary on June 24. The report, according to reports, was regarding her conduct of seeking special privileges not allowed for a probationary officer.

Allegations against her father, a retired Maharashtra govt officer
The state general administration department (GAD) asked the Pune district collector to take action against the father of Puja Khedkar, Dilip Khedkar—a former state government officer—for his objectionable behaviour at her workplace. The letter that was sent to the Pune Collector from the department was signed by GAD joint secretary, SM Mahadik. It had referred to the Collector’s previous report, a Times of India news report claimed. It has been alleged that Dilip had accompanied Puja to her workplace on June 12 and 13 and reprimanded other officials for not providing her daughter a well-equipped office with attached restroom, besides making several other demands. However, in a TOI report, Dilip has refuted to such allegations and demanded action against the Collector for having shared the details of his report with media. The father also alleged that the report had tarnished Puja’s public image.

Who is Puja Khedkar and what’s the controversy?
Puja Khedkar is a probationary IAS officer from Pune. She had secured an all-India rank of 821 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams, 2022. She was posted as an assistant collector in Pune. It has been alleged that she was using a red-blue beacon and a Maharashtra government board on her private Audi car. It has also been alleged that she wrongfully occupied the chamber of additional collector Ajay More without permission. She had allegedly removed office furniture without the officer’s permission.

According to a Newslaundry report, Khedkar took the civil services exam in 2019 and was selected for the Indian Revenue Service in 2020. “She could not join the service because of a technical problem. Then she applied for the Sports Authority of India, where she got a posting as an assistant director. In 2021, she again appeared for the civil services exam and was selected for the IAS under the PwBD, or Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, category,” the report stated.

She claimed that she was suffering from a mental illness and blindness. The Newslaundry report claimed that even after her selection, she repeatedly missed the dates for a medical examination.

‘Her disability and OBC certificates are fake, parents own assets worth Rs 40 cr’
It has also been alleged that she produced ‘fake disability’ and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services.

Vijay Kumbhar, an RTI activist, had alleged that Puja Khedkar’s appointment was questionable. The activist claimed that she didn’t fall under the OBC non-creamy layer category because her father had assets worth Rs 40 crore. “As per the rules, only those come under the OBC non-creme layer category whose parents are under 8 lakh per annum of income, but their income shows that it is 40 crore. Her parents contested the recent Lok Sabha polls and all the property details are there in the affidavit,” he told News 18.

Puja’s father had contested Lok Sabha election
According to the Newslaundry report, Khedkar’s father, Dilip Khedkar, a former officer at the Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board, recently contested the Lok Sabha election from Ahmednagar for the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, led by Prakash Ambedkar.

According to his election affidavit, he has wealth exceeding Rs 40 crore. Khedkar’s mother, Manorama Khedkar, serves as the sarpanch of Bhalgaon village in Pathardi tehsil of Ahmednagar.

My father has zero income: Puja in a mock interview
An old video featuring Puja in a mock interview for the civil services has gone viral. In the video clip, it is showed that the panel questions why she declared her father’s income as zero. To this, Puja replied that her parents were no longer financially connected to her as her father was a retired Maharashtra government servant. However, a TOI report claimed that the IAS officer and her family owns four luxury cars, 110 acres land, six plots, seven flats, Rs 17 lakh watch and Rs 17 crore property.

Political reactions
Earlier, Leader Of the Opposition in the Maharashtra State Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, had demanded an inquiry into the selection process. BJP MLA from Maharashtra, Nitesh Rane, had assured that the government would take the required action in the matter. “The allegations against IAS officer Pooja Khedkar are a serious reputational hazard to the service. Are you in government to serve or due to a sense of entitlement? I urge Maharashtra’s Chief Secretary to conduct a comprehensive & impartial investigation into these allegations without delay. Ensuring justice & preserving public trust in our administrative service is crucial. UPSC is known for producing high-caliber officers for #PublicService. Those lacking merit and ethics are not fit to hold important public offices,” Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, Milind Deora, wrote on X.