Maharashtra | What's the controversy around probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar

In the eye of storm over alleged misuse of power and “using fake certificates” for selection in the UPSC exam, Puja Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer in Maharashtra, has been transferred from Pune to Washim.

The action was initiated after it came to light that she was using a private Audi car with a siren and VIP number plate -- privileges that are reserved for senior officials. The government order, signed by Assistant Secretary SM Mahadik, said the transfer was done for “administrative reasons”. However, sources in the government said the probationary officer is likely to face an enquiry regarding the various complaints received against her.

Audi with red beacon atop

As per media reports, Khedkar was using her private Audi car with a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker and a red-blue beacon atop it in Pune. Interestingly, she had asked for an official car with a VIP number plate, accommodation, an official chamber with adequate staff, and a constable even before joining as an assistant collector. A trainee officer is not entitled to these privileges.

Reports also suggest that her father, Dilip Khedkar, used his clout as a retired administrative officer and reportedly pressured the district collector's office in Pune to meet his daughter’s demands. This influence extended to her workplace behaviour where she allegedly removed the nameplate of senior officer Ajay More in the Pune collector’s office to use the space for herself.

UPSC selection row

Close on the heels of this incident, Khedkar has landed in yet another controversy over the alleged submission of fake disability and OBC certificates to secure her position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

According to documents submitted to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Khedkar appeared for the UPSC exam under the OBC category. She also claimed to have multiple disabilities, including a learning disability, and sought special accommodations during her UPSC examination. However, she did not disclose the nature or extent of her disabilities.

Vijay Kumbhar, an RTI activist, that she was called by the AIIMS, Delhi for verification of her disability certificate. However, she declined to attend the medical test, citing a COVID-19 infection in April 2022.

Skipped medical tests

She continued to refuse despite being called for the test five more times, citing various reasons. Subsequently, she reportedly submitted a fake disability verification report from a local private hospital and joined as a probationary officer in Pune. The UPSC challenged the certificate submitted by her in CAT, but she surprisingly received her joining orders.

Khedkar appeared in the UPSC exam under the OBC category, where the creamy layer certificate limitation is an annual parental income of Rs 8 lakh. However, her father Dilip Khedkar, a former state government officer, while contesting the Lok Sabha elections, had reportedly declared his property valued at Rs 40 crore and an annual income of Rs 49 lakh. He also contested the recent Lok Sabha elections as a candidate of Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA)

A 2023-batch IAS officer who secured an all-India rank (AIR) 841 in the UPSC exam, Puja will now be serving as a supernumerary assistant collector in the Washim district, where she will complete her training until July 30, 2025.