The story so far: The controversy surrounding probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar , under scrutiny for allegedly misusing her official position and submitting fake disability and caste certificates to clear the civil services exam, has intensified with further charges emerging against the probationary officer and her family, prompting demands for an in-depth probe. The 2023 batch IAS officer from the Maharashtra cadre came under the spotlight earlier this week after Pune Collector Suhas Diwase accused her of misconduct including the use of a private car with a beacon light, and making demands for a separate office, official vehicle, and staff — privileges not typically provided to trainee officers. Amid a string of controversies, Ms.
Khedkar was transferred from the Collector’s Office in Pune to the Washim district earlier this week. The Centre, meanwhile, constituted a single-member committee to verify Ms. Khedkar’s candidature claims and other details of the case.
Who is Puja Khedkar? A trained doctor, 32-year-old Puja Khedkar is a resident of Pune and hails from a family of bureaucrats. Her father, Deelip Khedkar, is a retired IAS officer-turned-politician. Mr.
Khedkar unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a candidate of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) from the Ahmednagar constituency in Maharashtra. In one of the videos of a mock interview uploaded by a private coaching institute on YouTube, Ms. Khedkar is seen t.