Puja Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer, has been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, and her training has been put on hold. This decision comes amid allegations of misuse of power and privileges, as well as manipulation of disability and OBC certificates to get into the civil services.
Khedkar, who was originally posted in Pune, was transferred to Washim after allegations surfaced. She has now been instructed to join the academy at the earliest, but not later than July 23, for “further necessary action”.
The authenticity of various certificates submitted by Khedkar to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is being probed, including one indicating visual impairment. She had submitted two certificates from the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital in 2018 and 2021, but was sent for a medical check-up at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Science, which she skipped six times between April and August 2022.
It has also emerged that Khedkar applied for a disability certificate from the Aundh government hospital in Pune in August 2022, but was rejected after medical tests.
Khedkar has denied the allegations, claiming she is a victim of a misinformation campaign and “media trial”. She was transferred from Pune to Washim after allegations surfaced that she was demanding perks and facilities to which she was not entitled as a trainee official, including using a red beacon and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her private Audi car.
The Union government has set up a one-member committee to verify Khedkar’s candidature and submit a report in two weeks. Questions have also been raised about her appointment in the civil services under the OBC non-creamy layer, with allegations that her father has assets worth ₹ 40 crore.
Khedkar has said she will testify in front of the expert committee and accept its decision. Pune Police is also searching for her parents in a criminal case related to a land dispute.
