New Delhi:
The Maharashtra government has halted the District Training Programme of trainee Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar, directing her to return to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie. This decision follows a directive from the Additional Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, Nitin Gadre, citing instructions from the LBSNAA for her immediate recall.
The official letter states, “You are hereby relieved from the district training program of the state government of Maharashtra… You are instructed to join the academy at the earliest but not later than 23rd July 2024 under any circumstance.”
Khedkar, a 34-year-old IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, cleared the UPSC civil service exam under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories, declaring herself to be from the non-creamy layer and citing her visual and mental disabilities. However, she did not undergo tests to prove her PwBD status, leading the UPSC to challenge her selection before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which ruled against her in February 2023.
Further scrutiny revealed discrepancies in Khedkar’s CAT application forms from 2020 and 2023, which sought relaxation of the upper age limit for persons with benchmark disabilities. Despite a three-year gap between the applications, the forms showed only a one-year age difference. Additionally, Khedkar used slightly different names on the applications—Khedkar Puja Deeliprao in 2020 and Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar in 2023. This is significant, as UPSC candidates in the general category are allowed up to 6 attempts until the age of 32, while OBC candidates can attempt up to 9 times until the age of 35.
Khedkar’s career has been marked by a series of allegations and legal battles. She has been under investigation for allegedly misrepresenting herself under the PwBD and OBC categories to qualify for the civil service exam. She is also accused of misusing her position during her posting in Pune. Reports surfaced about her alleged demands for a separate office and official car, and unauthorized use of a beacon on her private car, leading to her transfer to Washim from Pune.
In addition to these controversies, Khedkar’s career faced further complications with the submission of disability certificates from multiple hospitals, now under investigation for authenticity. A senior government doctor, Dr. Rajendra Wable, dean of Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital, confirmed that Khedkar obtained a “locomotor disability” certificate in August 2022, which stated a seven percent disability in her knee.
In Washim, Khedkar claimed to be the victim of a misinformation campaign, urging the media to act responsibly. She stated, “Misinformation is being spread and I am facing a lot of defamation. I want to request the media to behave responsibly and not to spread misinformation.”
Adding to her troubles, Pune Police are verifying the authenticity of the disability certificates she submitted. The Union government has also established a one-member committee to review her candidature and submit a report within two weeks.
In a related development, Pune Police confiscated a luxury car used by Khedkar for allegedly installing a red beacon light without authorization. They are also searching for her parents in a criminal case, following a video showing her mother, Manorama Khedkar, a village sarpanch, allegedly threatening individuals with a gun over a land dispute. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against her parents and five others in connection with the incident.