The controversy surrounding IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar continues to escalate with new revelations emerging daily. Last week, she was transferred to Washim district in Vidarbha after Pune district collector Suhas Divase requested her removal to prevent administrative conflicts. The government has also initiated a probe into her claims and allegations through a single-member committee. While initially refusing to comment, Khedkar later stated that she would accept the committee’s decision. She defended herself by stating that the Constitution adheres to the principle of ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ and criticized the media trial she has faced. However, fresh allegations have surfaced regarding her alleged use of different names and ages while taking the UPSC exam.
One of the initial controversies involved Khedkar’s misuse of official facilities. As an assistant collector in Pune, she was found availing privileges not authorized for trainee officers. This included using a red-blue beacon on an Audi car registered under a private company, which also displayed a “Maharashtra Government” board. The car’s violation of traffic rules was further highlighted by the 21 pending challans and ₹ 26,000 in unpaid fines. The viral images of the vehicle brought her actions into the public eye.
Further accusations center around alleged fraudulent practices during her exams. Khedkar, a 2003-batch IAS officer, stands accused of misrepresenting herself under the physical disabilities and OBC categories. She reportedly submitted multiple medical certificates to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), including one indicating visual impairment under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) provision. However, a fitness certificate submitted by her upon admission to a private medical college in 2007 contained no mention of any disability, as confirmed by Dr Arvind Bhore, director of the Kashibai Navale Medical College in Pune.
Adding to the controversies, Khedkar is accused of abusing her official position during her time in Pune. Allegedly, she occupied the ante-chamber of Additional Collector Ajay More without permission, removed office furniture, and requested unauthorized facilities. Even before joining, she demanded a cabin and staff through a WhatsApp chat with the collector’s office, seemingly to ‘plan things accordingly’. Reports suggest that her father, Dilip Khedkar, a former Maharashtra government employee and unsuccessful Lok Sabha candidate, exerted pressure on the District Collector’s office to fulfill his daughter’s demands.
In May 2018, Khedkar allegedly attempted to influence a DCP-rank officer to release a man detained in a theft case at Panvel police station. This incident was reported to the Maharashtra government by the Navi Mumbai police, although the accused was not ultimately released. While Khedkar’s direct involvement in the phone call was not confirmed, she had identified herself during the conversation.
Adding to the family’s controversies, a video of Khedkar’s mother, Manorama Khedkar, brandishing a gun during a land dispute with a farmer went viral. When police visited their Pune residence, she reportedly refused entry and threatened them. Police have subsequently launched a manhunt for her parents.
While the investigation into the allegations against Khedkar is ongoing, discrepancies in her name and age have been reported. According to a Marathi newspaper, Sakal, questions have been raised about whether she exceeded the allowed number of attempts for the UPSC exam. Candidates from the general category are allowed six attempts, while OBC and PwBD candidates have nine. Reports indicate that Khedkar used the name Puja Diliprao Khedkar until 2020-21, but subsequently took two additional attempts using the name ‘Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar’. Further, her age was listed as 30 in documents from 2020 but was changed to 31 in 2023. Vijay Kumbhar, a Pune-based RTI activist who has questioned Khedkar’s appointment, stated that her disability certificate was rejected at District Civil Hospital, Aundh, Pune, despite her possessing multiple disability certificates. She had sought a certificate for locomotor disability.
The mounting controversies surrounding Puja Khedkar have cast a shadow on her future as an IAS officer and sparked widespread public debate regarding the integrity and accountability of civil servants.
