Pune, Maharashtra — The controversy surrounding trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar has escalated further with revelations of alleged forgery involving a disability certificate. Exclusive documents accessed by India Today reveal that Khedkar obtained a fake disability certificate by providing false information, including a fabricated residential address and a forged ration card.
In the documents submitted, Khedkar claimed ‘Plot No. 53, Dehu-Alandi, Talwade’ as her residential address, supposedly located in Pune’s Pimpri-Chinchwad area. However, investigations uncovered that this address belonged to a defunct organization named Thermoverita Engineering Pvt Ltd, and not a residential property as claimed. Moreover, a fake ration card was also used, fabricated under the same false address.
Using these fraudulent documents, Khedkar allegedly obtained a disability certificate in August 2022, citing a locomotor disability of around seven percent in her knee.
Further complicating the matter, Thermoverita Engineering Pvt Ltd, associated with the fake address, is reported to be the registered owner of an Audi vehicle. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipality’s tax collection department has claimed pending dues of Rs 2.7 lakh from this firm over the past three years.
Amidst mounting controversies over forged documents and misuse of authority, Puja Khedkar’s training in Maharashtra has been abruptly halted. The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie has decided to suspend her District Training Program and has recalled her for immediate disciplinary action.
An official notice dated July 16 from LBSNAA states that Puja Khedkar, currently serving as the Supernumerary Assistant Collector in Washim, Maharashtra, has been relieved from her training responsibilities.
Apart from the allegations of forging disability certificates, Khedkar also faces accusations of intimidating police officers and abusing her official position for personal gain.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, the state headquarters received a detailed report from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Pune regarding the property assets of Dilip Khedkar, Puja Khedkar’s father. A retired official of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Dilip Khedkar is under scrutiny for alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets during his tenure, spanning until his retirement in 2020.
With higher authorities reviewing these findings, further actions against the Khedkar family are anticipated as the investigation unfolds.