By K M Roy

(Managing Editor, MyCityNews.Com)

CONTROVERSIAL IAS probationer Puja Khedkar's IAS training has been put on hold and she has been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussorie.

For last two weeks, Ms Puja Khedkar has hit the national headlines. No other IAS officer, not even those who served 30 years, have hit media headlines in the country like she has done.

What is the reason for Puja Khedkar being recalled ? What wrong has she done ? Questions like these are being discussed by the education people UPSC aspirants,  government officials, students, teachers, principals, activists, politicians, ministers, sports persons --- just about everyone.

Ms Puja Khedkar originally from Ahmednagar has settled with her family in Baner area of Pune for last few days. Her father Dilip Khedkar is a retired Maharashtra Pollution Control Board officer. The entire family including Puja's mother are in the news for various ugly reasons.

Ms Puja Khedkar first hit the headlines when Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase complained to the state government about the errant behaviour of the IAS probationer in June 2024. She was using an Audi car fitting with red and blue beacon light atop the vehicle -- which a probationer was not mandated to do. Then she grabbed the ante chamber of a senior officer when he was not in office.

Following the complaint by Mr Diwase, the state government transferred Ms Puja to Washim district.

After this, one skeleton after started tumbling out of her closet.

First, the government told the District Collector to act against her father for his objectionable conduct at her workplace meaning the collectorate where she grabbed the ante chamber of a senior officer.

As the media reported her traffic violations, the Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar stepped in. He promised action in the matter. The police revealed that challan worth Rs 27,400 had been pending against her for various traffic violations. Her driver then rides a two-wheeler, reaches Nigdi and pays the amount to a traffic constable. The Audi car which Ms Khedkar drove to the collectorate is registered with the RTO in the name of Thermoverita Engineering Private Ltd. The company has so far kept mum as to why it allowed Puja to drive the car to the collectorate and back home. Pune RTO has sent a notice to the company to come clean on this front. The Pune Police has confiscated the expensive Audi car.

The state government then swing into action and announced suo motu investigation into Ms Khedkar's claim that she belonged to the OBC non-creamy layer category. Her father told TV channels that the non-creamy layer certificate was issued as per the laid down rules and regulations by the government. The media reported that Ms Khedkar had actually taken MBBS admission in Navale Medical College in 2007 under the reserved nomadic tribe-3 category.

After this, the central government also moved in. PTI reported that the central government has set up a one member committee to look into her claims.

Amidst all, it has come to light that Ms Khedkar has secured disability certificate from Ahmednagar Civil Hospital and YCM hospital in Pimpri. In fact, the Ahmednagar government hospital had twice in 2018 and 2021 issued the disability certificate. She had claimed that she had locomotor disability meaning something to do with knee joint.

Yet another ugly news surfaced regarding Ms Khedkar. This time, it came from Navi Mumbai police which said Ms Khedkar put pressure on them to release a transporter arrested in a steel theft case.

Even as Ms Khedkar was drawing all the limelight for all the wrong reasons, her mother Manorama Khedkar was not to be left behind. Pune's Police Paud came across a video which shows Manorama Khedkar threatening some farmers in Mulshi taluka of Pune in June 2023.

The family had more trouble in store as the Pune Municipal Corporation sent them a notice asking them to remove a structure on the footpath which they had constructed outiside their bungalow in the upmarket Baner area of Pune.

It was RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar, an AAP functionary, who actually blew the whistle on Ms Khedkar's saga. He brought to light that Ms Khedkar's father had contested Nagar Lok Sabha election and in his affidavit showed his total wealth as Rs 42 crore and their last year's annual income as Rs 43 lakh. This put a question mark on their OBC non-creamy layer certificate.

Mr Kumbhar also brought to light the fact that Ms Khedkar has refused to get her medical test done at AIIMS which was required by the UPSC. Six times she refused to go for the test.

Mr Khedkar however claimed that he had divorced his wife and Puja was living her mother. This has brought even their divorce under the scanner....Many are questioning whether the divorce was true or fake.

Also, it has come to light that Ms Khedkar appeared for UPSC exam nine times and nine times she failed. After that she changed her name and again appeared for the exam twice and cleared it.

The UPSC which had kept quiet all this while has lot to answer to the nation. What kind of IAS officer has it selected ? How can so many certificates be accepted without their proper verification ? Are there other IAS officers who made it through such dubious methods ? This incident can certainly open a can of worms.