Who is Pooja Khedkar? All About Pune Trainee IAS Officer Marred In 'Audi With Beacon' Row And Her VIP Demands
Khedkar came under scanner for using her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate. She had also installed a 'Maharashtra government' board on her private car.
Pooja Khedkar, the Maharashtra probationary IAS officer who was transferred from Pune to Washim over alleged misuse of power, allegedly submitted fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services exam. Khedkar, who came under scanner for using her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate, reportedly appeared for the civil services exam under the OBC and visually impaired categories and also submitted a mental illness certificate.
"In April 2022, she was asked to report at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi for verification of her disability certificate but she did not do so, citing Covid infection," news agency PTI reported quoting an official.
Later, she reportedly produced an MRI scanning certificate from a private facility, which was accepted to confirm her IAS appointment.
As per the report, her father Dilip Khedkar, a former state government officer, while contesting the recent Lok Sabha election, had declared his property valued at Rs 40 crore. "However, Pooja Khedkar appeared for the civil services exam under the OBC category, where the creamy layer certificate limitation is an annual parental income of Rs 8 lakh," the official said.
After joining as a probationary officer in Pune, Khedkar also allegedly made several demands, including a VIP number plate for an Audi car, and placed a red beacon on the vehicle. She also demanded a separate office, a car, residential quarters, and a peon for herself, Pune collector Suhas Diwse said in his report to the General Administration Department (GAD).
Khedkar made these demands over a WhatsApp conversation with the Pune District Collector even before assuming charge as Assistant Collector in Pune on June 3.
The District Collector had flagged these unusual demands to the Chief Secretary. In his report, he suggested that it would be inappropriate to continue Khedkar’s training in Pune and mentioned that it might lead to administrative complications.
The officer was offered her own chamber; however, she declined it due to the lack of an attached bathroom, India Today reported quoting the Collector’s report. The officer also reportedly visited the Pune office with her father, Dilip Khedkar, and together they proposed to use a VIP hall located next to the mining department as their cabin.
The probationary officer was told that she was not entitled to these facilities on probation, while the accommodation would be provided to her. Flagging these unusual demands, the collector in his report to GAD, suggested that it would be inappropriate to continue Khedkar’s training in Pune and mentioned that it might lead to administrative complications.
Who Is Pooja Khedkar
Pooja Khedkar, a 2022 batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, is the daughter of a former Maharashtra government officer Dilip Khedkar, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on a Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi ticket.
She comes from a family steeped in public service and clinched the 841st rank in the rigorous UPSC examinations. However, it is also alleged that Khedkar submitted fake certificates to clear her IAS exams. However, Khedkar appeared for the civil services exam under the OBC category, where the creamy layer certificate limitation is an annual parental income of Rs 8 lakh only. Her father, while contesting the recent Lok Sabha election, had reportedly declared his property valued at Rs 40 crore.
She also allegedly submitted fake disability to clear the civil service examination. Khedkar came under scanner for using her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate. She had also installed a 'Maharashtra government' board on her private car. She has been transferred to Washim district for the completion of her training, where she will as a "supernumerary assistant collector" till July 30, 2025.
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