Puja Khedkar Row: FIR Against Father Of Ex-Trainee IAS For Threatening Officer Over Cabin Allocation

As a latest development in the ongoing turmoil over the recruitment of the former trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, police on Friday registered another case against her father Dilip Khedkar, on charges of threatening and obstructing a public servant in the discharge of duty in Pune district, officials said on Friday.

Based on a complaint lodged by a tehsildar-rank officer from the Pune district collectorate, the case was filed at the Bundgarden police station, according to PTI.

"After receiving the complaint from the district administration, we registered a case against Dilip Khedkar under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of his public functions), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," a senior official of the Pune police said.

"The complaint says that during Puja Khedkar's posting as an assistant collector, Dilip Khedkar allegedly used threatening language against tehsildar Dipak Akade, asking him to allot a cabin for his daughter even as he had no right to interfere in the administrative functioning," the official added.

Khedkar is currently untraceable after an FIR was registered against her in Delhi as she is accused of 'misrepresenting information' in her application for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2022.

Dilip Khedkar, a retired government official was also booked in a case of criminal intimidation filed by the Paud police in Pune, in which his wife Manorama was accused of toting a gun at a person in Mulshi area over a land dispute.

Dilip Khedkar was granted anticipatory bail in that case, while his wife Manorama, who was arrested by Pune rural police, was released on bail by the court recently.

IAS Puja Khedkar Row: Top developments

• 34-year-old IAS officer Khedkar hit headlines as the reports on her alleged demands for a separate office, official car and unauthorised use of a beacon on her private luxurious car emerged. She was subsequently transferred to Washim from Pune.

• Furthermore, allegations of misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure a position in the IAS also surfaced.

• Centre put on hold the district training programme of Khedkar, a 2023 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Moreover, she was summoned back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) for “necessary action”.

• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recently announced the cancellation of the provisional candidature of Khedkar. The UPSC also said it is permanently debarring Puja Khedkar from all future exams and selections.

• Amid controversies surrounding Puja Khedkar, her parents Manorama and Dilip Khedkar too cameunder the spotlight after police registered an FIR against them over a video purportedly showing them threatening some persons with a gun.

• The Paud police in Pune rural have booked her parents and five others under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) sections, including 323 (dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property).