Just two days after her transfer from Pune to Washim over allegations of bullying and entitled behavior, Puja Khedkar, a 32-year-old IAS officer from the 2023 batch of the Maharashtra cadre, faces fresh controversy. Allegations have emerged that Khedkar misused benefits under the physical disabilities category and other backward class (OBC) quota to secure her position in the Indian Administrative Services.
Khedkar’s transfer to Washim on Monday evening followed a request from Pune district collector Suhas Diwase to additional chief secretary Nitin Gadre to reassign her to avoid administrative complications. The controversy intensified on Wednesday as the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) sought a report on the matter from the Pune collector, sources told HT. Additionally, the Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LSBNAA), which trains civil service candidates, has requested a report from the state government on Khedkar’s various lapses that led to her transfer. The academy’s final report will be sent to the Union Public Service Commission.
Deputy director of LSBNAA Shailesh Naval has asked the state’s general administration to submit a report, approved by chief secretary Sujata Saunik. Sources in Mantralaya reported that Khedkar entered Saunik’s office on Wednesday without permission. Saunik told HT, “She came in without seeking time, following which I told her to leave and see the additional chief secretary of general administration Nitin Gadre as I had a busy work schedule.”
Meanwhile, Khedkar has not reported for duty in Washim. “We have received the state government order, but Khedkar is yet to join her duty. She has neither contacted me nor any administration official,” said Washim district collector Buveneswari S.
Social media buzzed with photos of Khedkar and her Audi with a VIP registration number, raising questions about how the medical doctor-turned-third generation civil servant allegedly misused the system. According to the service allocation list released by the Department of Personnel and Training, Khedkar secured her IAS position with All India Rank 821 under the OBC and PWBD (persons with benchmark disabilities) categories.
While Khedkar applied under the OBC category, which has an income cap of ₹8 lakh per year for the creamy layer certificate, her father, Dilip, a retired senior officer of the Maharashtra government, declared an annual income of ₹43 lakh and an estimated wealth of ₹40 crore in his affidavit for the recent Lok Sabha elections. Dilip unsuccessfully contested the elections from Ahmednagar as a candidate for Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), garnering over 15,000 votes. Both Puja and her father did not respond to HT’s calls or text messages.
In a mock interview video released by a private coaching class academy, Khedkar claimed her parents are separated and she is not in touch with them. However, after joining duty in Pune, her father accompanied her and allegedly threatened a senior officer to secure an antechamber for her.
After clearing the UPSC exams, Khedkar was asked by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi to appear for a medical examination on April 22, 2022, to verify her disabilities certificate. She failed to appear despite being called six times, citing reasons such as Covid-19 or inability to undergo an MRI.
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