Puja Khedkar Row: IAS Trainee Officer Files Harassment Case Against Pune DM

Under-fire IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar on Tuesday filled a harassment case against Pune's district magistrate Suhas Divase.

A row has erupted over the authenticity of Khedkar’s disability and OBC status claims that got her appointed to the civil services.

Earlier on Tuesday, the government took first action against Khedkar and shunted her from IAS training and directed her to return to the academy in Mussoorie before July 23.

Khedkar has also been relieved from the District Training Programme of the Maharashtra government.

Pertinently, the Centre has constituted a single-member committee to examine the claims and details surrounding Khedkar's candidature.

It has announced that the committee, chaired by a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary, would submit its report in two weeks.

Khedkar is a 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, who secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 841 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam, sparked a controversy recently when she used her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate.

She also demanded facilities that are not available to probationary officers in the IAS.

According to a report submitted by Pune collector Suhas Diwse to the General Administration Department, Khedkar repeatedly demanded that she be provided with a separate cabin, car, residential quarters, and a peon even before joining the duty as a trainee on June 3. However, she was denied the facilities.

The IAS trainee was also accused of removing the nameplate of a senior official at the Pune collector's office when he allowed her to use his ante-chamber as her office.

Khedkar allegedly submitted fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services exam. Reports claimed that she had also submitted a mental illness certificate.