Puja Khedkar, a controversial trainee Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has joined the Washim district administration in Maharashtra on July 11 to complete her training. Her arrival comes amidst demands for an in-depth probe into the circumstances of her recruitment, fueled by allegations of seeking special privileges and faking certificates. Earlier this week, Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim after complaints about her conduct. She had drawn attention after reports emerged about her alleged demands for a separate office, official car, and unauthorized use of a beacon on her private car. The Pune District Collector, Suhas Diwase, also sent a report to the state government detailing Khedkar and her father’s ‘objectionable behavior.’
Khedkar, a 32-year-old from a family of bureaucrats and politicians, secured an all-India rank of 841 in the 2023 Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. Her father, Diliprao Khedkar, is a retired Maharashtra Pollution Control Board officer, while her paternal grandfather was also a senior bureaucrat. Diliprao Khedkar contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) candidate. Khedkar’s mother is the sarpanch of Bhalgaon, the family’s village.
Khedkar’s claim of disability has been a subject of scrutiny. She cleared the UPSC in 2021 and engaged in legal battles against the UPSC in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) after failing to present herself for a medical examination to confirm her disability claim of suffering from ‘blindness and mental illness.’ This claim granted her benefits under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities category. The UPSC had requested Khedkar to undergo a medical examination at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMs), New Delhi in April 2022. She sought a postponement citing COVID-19 concerns. The examination was rescheduled to August 2022, with a brain MRI required to determine the cause of her reported loss of vision. However, no response was received from Khedkar, according to the CAT order. She submitted an MRI report from a private facility supporting her disability claims.
Furthermore, Khedkar’s Other Backward Classes (non-creamy layer) status has been questioned by activists. They claim that she comes from a well-off family. Vijay Kumbhar, a Pune-based activist, has pointed to disclosures made by her father in his election affidavit to raise doubts about her non-creamy layer status. He argues that she doesn’t qualify for this category because her father possessed assets worth ₹40 crore. According to Kumbhar, only individuals whose parents earn less than ₹8 lakh per annum are eligible for the OBC non-creamy layer category.
Khedkar joined the Pune District Collectorate for her training on June 3 as an assistant collector. She has been accused of misusing her authority and availing facilities not permitted to probationary officers. These include allegedly using a red-blue beacon and a Maharashtra government board on her private Audi car. She reportedly occupied the chamber of additional collector Ajay More without permission and removed office furniture without his consent. Khedkar’s father allegedly pressured the district collector’s office to fulfill his daughter’s demands.
In response to the mounting allegations, the Union government on July 12 constituted a one-member Committee to verify Khedkar’s candidature. The probe, conducted by an additional secretary-rank officer, will investigate her claims and other details related to her position in the service.
