Lagatar24 Desk
Mussoorie: Probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar has been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, with her training put on hold amid allegations of certificate manipulation and misuse of power and privileges. This significant action comes after Ms. Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim under scrutiny for allegedly manipulating disability and OBC certificates to enter the civil services.
The General Administration Department issued a release stating, “You are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra,” instructing Ms. Khedkar to report back to the academy by July 23 for “further necessary action.”
LBSNAA is responsible for training civil servants of the IAS cadre and conducting the foundation course for Group-A central civil services. The authenticity of various certificates submitted by Ms. Khedkar to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), including one indicating visual impairment, is currently under investigation.
Ms. Khedkar, a 2023-batch officer from Ahmednagar, had submitted certificates from Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital in 2018 and 2021 under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category. However, she missed six medical check-up appointments at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Science between April and August 2022. Subsequently, her application for a disability certificate from Aundh government hospital in Pune was rejected after medical tests.
Alleging a “media trial” and misinformation campaign against her, Ms. Khedkar has been vocal about the accusations. She was initially transferred from her post as assistant collector in Pune to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector after being accused of demanding perks and facilities not entitled to trainee officials. Reports claimed she used a red beacon and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her private Audi car and utilized Pune Additional Collector Ajay More’s office in his absence, along with demanding letterheads, a VIP number plate, a separate house, and a car.
The Union government has established a one-member committee to verify Ms. Khedkar’s candidature and submit a report within two weeks. Questions have been raised about her eligibility for OBC non-creamy layer reservation benefits, given allegations that her father owns assets worth Rs 40 crore, which exceeds the income limit for such benefits.
Ms. Khedkar has stated her willingness to cooperate with the investigation, saying, “Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out.”
In addition to these controversies, Pune Police is searching for Ms. Khedkar’s parents in a criminal case. An FIR was registered against them and five others after a video showed her mother, Manorama Khedkar, a village sarpanch, allegedly threatening people with a gun over a land dispute.
As investigations continue, Ms. Khedkar’s training at LBSNAA remains on hold, and the civil services community awaits the outcome of the probes into her conduct and eligibility.
