Maharashtra Govt Furnishes Key Documents To Show Misuse Of Power By IAS Puja Khedkar

Khedkar came under the scanner after she was seen using a siren on her private Audi and raising demands for a separate house and car - privileges not available to junior officers

After a week-long probe, the Maharashtra government on Thursday submitted its probe report on the allegations leveled against IAS trainee Puja Khedkar to the Central government. In its report to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), the state government's general administrative department (GAD) mentioned the indecent behaviour of the 34-year-old Maharashtra cadre officer at the Pune Collectorate where she was posted.

A copy of the report has also been sent to a one-member committee formed by the central government. The Maharashtra government's report is a collection of documents obtained from various agencies to test the veracity of various claims made by Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer, before joining the civil services.

Chief among the documents accessed by the department were the medical and income certificates which were furnished so that she could secure benefits of OBC and PwBD quota, according to a report by Moneycontrol. 

The report found Khedkar's claim about her parents' background was untrue. Khedkar has claimed that her parents, Dilip and Marorama Khedkar, were separated, which was proven to be false after an inquiry from Pune police. 

It also mentioned that the IAS officer's father, a former civil servant, in his election affidavit showed his net worth of Rs 40 crore. This information contradicts Khedkar's claims that her family’s annual income was below Rs 8 lakh. This makes her ineligible for the benefits of the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota she claimed to clear the UPSC exam.

The GAD report also mentioned a certificate from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) stating that the IAS officer did not own a driving licence. It also said that Khedkar had installed an amber beacon and the state government's logo on the Audi she used to drive to work and that she had a dispute with a senior official over the use of the car, the Moneycontrol report said. 

Khedkar came under the scanner after she was seen using a siren on her private Audi and raising demands for a separate house and car - privileges not available to junior officers.

Later, questions were raised over her claim of OBC status and disabilities to avail of concessions in the UPSC selection process. Khedkar had refused to undergo mandatory medical tests to confirm the disabilities.