Pune police on Sunday confiscated a luxury car used by controversial probationary IAS officer Pooja Khedkar by allegedly installing a red beacon light on it illegally, an official said.
According to PTI the official list allows only top officials above the secretary level in the state government, police officers of and above the rank of inspector general of police and regional commissioners to use amber beacons without flashers, while top level district officials are entitled to use blue beacons.
Probationary IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Controversy | Top Points
Khedkar recently came under the spotlight after kicking up a controversy surrounding her demands such as a separate cabin and staff during her posting in Pune. She allegedly misused the disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure a position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
The Centre on Thursday constituted a single-member committee "to verify the candidature" of the 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre. In a statement, the Centre said the probe would be conducted by an additional secretary-rank officer to verify claims over Khedkar's candidature and other details.
She may be terminated from service if found guilty, official sources earlier said.
The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) on Thursday issued a notice to a city-based private company, which is the registered owner of the Audi car that 34-year-old Khedkar used during her posting here. Shivane village in Haveli taluka was mentioned as the address of the registered user, as per officials.
Khedkar allegedly used a red beacon light on the Audi car and also got 'Maharashtra Government' written on it without permission.
Following the controversy, she was transferred from Pune to Washim district before the completion of her training. "A notice was issued on Thursday against the unauthorised use of a beacon and name sign on the private sedan Khedkar had been using. The car now has been confiscated, its documents will be checked and we are probing the matter further," a senior police official said on Sunday.
A jammer was put on the car and barricades were installed around it, he said. As many as 21 challans with total charges of Rs 27,000 were issued in the past against the Audi car, which was registered at the Pune RTO on June 27, 2012, for alleged traffic violations. The fine has been paid, as per officials.
Police have also registered an FIR against the IAS probationer's parents Manorama and Dilip Khedkar beside five others, days after a video showing Manorama allegedly threatening some persons with a gun over a land dispute emerged.
Pune Police on Saturday issued a show cause notice to Khedkar's mother directing the removal of "unauthorised structures" adjacent to the boundary wall of their bungalow in seven days and on Sunday they issued another notice for misuse of licenced gun.
The police were seen pasting the notice on the walls of the Khedkar's residence.
