Lagatar24 Desk
Washim, Maharashtra: Probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar broke her silence on Monday regarding the allegations of misusing Other Backward Class (OBC) quota and disability provisions to secure her position in the civil service. Speaking to reporters in Washim, Khedkar expressed confidence that the truth would emerge following her testimony before the central committee investigating the charges.
“I will testify before the committee. I think whatever decision the committee will take should be acceptable to all,” Khedkar stated. “My job here as a probationer is to work and learn, and that is what I am doing. I cannot make any comments on that.”
Khedkar has been under intense scrutiny following reports of her alleged demands for a separate office space, an official vehicle, and other privileges. Further allegations surfaced, claiming that Khedkar, the daughter of a retired bureaucrat, had misused the OBC quota and Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) provision to gain entry into the civil services.
The controversy intensified when it was revealed that her father, Dilip Khedkar, had contested the Lok Sabha elections and declared property worth Rs 40 crore in his poll affidavit, raising doubts about Puja’s non-creamy layer certificate.
In response to these allegations, the Centre has formed a single-member committee to re-examine the documents Puja Khedkar submitted for her civil services examination and subsequent IAS selection. Khedkar emphasized that the outcome of the investigation should be determined by the experts in the government committee, not by the media or the public.
“The experts of the government (committee) will decide. Neither I nor you (media) or the public can decide,” Khedkar said. “Whenever the decision of the committee comes, it will be public and open to scrutiny. But right now I don’t have any right to tell you about the investigation going on.”
She further asserted her faith in the Indian Constitution, which presumes innocence until proven guilty. “So proving me guilty by media trial is wrong on everybody’s part,” she added. “Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out.”
Puja Khedkar was recently transferred from Pune to Washim following accusations of high-handedness during her probationary period at the Pune district collectorate, including her reported demands for separate office space and an official vehicle.
As the investigation continues, Khedkar maintains her focus on her duties and learning during her probationary period, awaiting the committee’s decision to clear her name.
