Probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, embroiled in controversy over alleged misuse of power and privileges, has been recalled by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) on Tuesday, with her district training program being suspended.
Khedkar, who was transferred to Washim from Pune amid allegations of manipulation of disability and OBC certificates for getting into the civil services, claimed that she was being defamed.
She has been asked to report back to LBSNAA by July 23. The academy has decided to recall her for further necessary action, a state government official said
A letter by Additional Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, Nitin Gadre said, the academy has decided to put Khedkar's district training programme on hold and has immediately recalled her for further necessary action.
"You are hereby relieved from the district training programme of the state government of Maharashtra. You are instructed to join the academy at the earliest but not later than July 23, 2024, under any circumstances," the letter said.
Earlier in the day, Khedkar said she had been the victim of a misinformation campaign and claimed that fake news was being published about her every day.
"Misinformation is being spread and I am facing a lot of defamation. I want to request the media behave responsibly and not spread misinformation," Khedkar told reporters in Washim.
The 34-year-old came into the limelight after reports about her alleged demands for a separate office and official car and the unauthorised use of a beacon in her private car emerged. On Sunday, the Pune police had confiscated the luxury car used by Puja for allegedly installing a red beacon light on it without any authorization.
Meanwhile, the authenticity of various certificates submitted by her to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), one of them indicating visual impairment, will be probed as instructed by the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, police said earlier in the day.
Khedkar had earlier submitted two certificates, provided by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital in 2018 and 2021, to the UPSC under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category.
Additionally, she had applied for a disability certificate from the Aundh government hospital in Pune in August 2022, but after medical tests, her application was rejected.
Last week, the Union government set up a one-member committee "to verify the candidature" of Khedkar and submit a report in two weeks.
Pune Police has also been searching for her parents in a criminal case. An FIR was registered against the couple and five others after a video showed Puja's mother, Manorama Khedkar, a village sarpanch, allegedly threatening some people with a gun over a land dispute.
After joining as a probationary officer, Dr. Khedkar reportedly made several demands, including a VIP number plate for an Audi car, allegedly provided by a contractor. According to service rules, officers are not permitted to use private contractor vehicles for government work, but she reportedly used her influence to bypass this regulation.
Sources claim that Khedkar even took over the Pune collector's private chamber, insisting it belonged to her as an IAS officer. She also demanded a peon and other staffers. This behaviour led to a complaint lodged against her by the state chief secretary.
The government then transferred her from Pune to Wasim in Vidarbha.
As per the rules, she should not have been posted in her home district of Pune in the first place, but she allegedly used her political connections to secure that posting.
Interestingly, Puja appeared under the OBC category, where the creamy layer certificate limitation is an annual parental income of Rs 8 lakh.
However, her father, Dilip Khedkar, who retired as a senior Maharashtra government officer, showed a conservative estimated wealth of Rs 40 crore and an annual income of Rs 49 lakh.
In reality, his total asset value is estimated to be over Rs 100 crore.
(With inputs from ENS and PTI)
