New Delhi, India: Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, already embroiled in controversy over alleged misuse of power, now faces a central government investigation into claims she made during her UPSC candidature. The 2023-batch officer, accused of using a siren on her private Audi and demanding privileges not available to junior officers, is under scrutiny for potentially serious infractions that question her civil service selection.
Manoj Dwivedi, additional secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), has initiated a probe against Khedkar. The investigation, expected to be completed within two weeks, could lead to her dismissal if she is found guilty. Sources indicate she may also face criminal charges if allegations of hiding facts and misrepresentation are substantiated.
Khedkar has remained silent on the charges, citing a lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly. Previously posted as an assistant collector in Pune, she was transferred to Washim after the Pune Collector raised a complaint with the state’s Chief Secretary. The complaints included her use of a siren and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her luxury sedan, and her occupation of the Pune Additional Collector Ajay More’s office, where she allegedly demanded unauthorized perks such as office furniture, letterheads, and a VIP number plate.
Further allegations include questions over her claim to Other Backward Classes (OBC) status and refusal to undergo mandatory medical tests to confirm several disabilities she claimed to avail concessions in the UPSC selection process. Compounding her troubles, an old video surfaced online showing her mother threatening a group of men with a gun, adding to the controversy.
As the investigation unfolds, Khedkar’s future in the civil service hangs in the balance, with potential legal repercussions looming if the allegations prove true.
