The monsoon of 2024 has brought incessant controversies to probationary IAS Puja Khedkar and her family. Mrs. Manorama Khedkar, the mother of Officer Puja Khedkar, was nabbed by the Pune Rural Police for a two-day police custody per an order by a magisterial court in connection with the offence of threatening farmers at gunpoint in the Pune district.
Mr. Pandharinath Pasalkar, a 65-year-old farmer from Dhadwali registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Officer Khedkar’s mother Manorama, and father Diliprao Khedkar, and several other unidentified persons under sections 323, 504, 506, 143, 144, 147, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the Arms Act.
The Pune Rural Police invoked Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Manorama after a buzz was created by a viral video where she could be seen pointing a pistol at Mr. Pasalkar and arguing with him at the Dhadwali village under the Mulshi taluka of the Pune district. The Pune Police has requested a week-long apprehension of the accused, the Judicial Magistrate First Class Sudhir Barde sent her to police custody for two days, only. Earlier, Mrs. Khedkar had lost her cool and lashed out at the media upon being inquired about the developments regarding her daughter’s ‘Fake certificate saga.’
Officer Puja Khedkar, a 2022-batch IAS Officer under training, has become a subject of intense discourse over the internet and national television after allegations arose that she had lied about her mental and visual condition, through “fraudulently” obtained certificates from the District Civil Hospital in Ahmednagar, to secure an officer’s post despite an unremarkable score in the ultra-competitive qualifying exam. Ms. Khedkar was “diagnosed” with Locomotor Disability and a 7% permanent disability concerning her left lower limb. She also obtained a second certificate which covered both low vision and mental illness (depression).
The conundrum was fueled when it was learnt that Ms. Khedkar, while going through the selection process for an IAS post, had refused to undergo a mandatory medical test to confirm her disabilities six times in a row! It is pertinent to mention that she had secured an All India Rank of 821 under the Physical Disability (PWD-5) category in the 2022 UPSC exams. Last week, the Union government established a one-member committee to verify Officer Khedkar’s candidature and instructed it to submit a report within two weeks. If proven guilty, Officer Khedkar will be sacked.
The entire fiasco unfurled after she made demands for a separate cabin and staff during her Pune posting. She demanded a red-blue beacon light, a VIP number plate, along with a ‘Maharashtra government’ board affixed to her private Audi car. As of now, the LBSNAA has issued an order calling back the controversial probationary IAS, Ms. Puja Khedkar, for “further necessary action” for her shenanigans while being posted as the Super Numerary Assistant Collector in Pune.
