The central government has removed Pooja Dilip Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service due to allegations of fraud and submitting forged documents. She was accused of securing a position in the 2023 IAS batch by improperly exploiting the benefits of the disabled and OBC categories. Her troubles are expected to worsen as the Ahilyanagar district administration has requested details from the state’s Inspector General of Registration regarding her parents’ assets.
The administration is compiling data on the assets owned by Pooja Khedkar’s parents to determine their income limits. This investigation is reportedly part of the Income Tax Department’s broader inquiry into the Khedkars’ financial matters. Concerns were raised about how Pooja’s father, Dilip Khedkar, was issued a non-creamy layer certificate despite his significant income. In particular, questions arose about his earnings, given his declared assets were reportedly in the crores, despite his income being listed as under Rs 4 lakh in 2007. At that time, Dilip Khedkar was employed as a class one officer in the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
After securing an IAS rank in 2023, Pooja Khedkar allegedly used both a disability certificate and a non-creamy layer certificate to obtain her place in the OBC category. This raised further doubts, especially since her father had later declared assets worth Rs 40 crore in a nomination affidavit for the Lok Sabha elections.
As a result, the district administration has written to Inspector General of Registration Ravindra Binwade to request a complete list of assets under the names of Dilip and Manorama Khedkar. This information is expected to be provided soon. Preliminary findings suggest that the Khedkars’ income exceeds the threshold for the non-creamy layer category. A committee will review their properties and calculate the total income based on these assets.
Given these developments, Pooja Khedkar’s situation appears to be becoming more complicated. Along with the fraud allegations, an investigation into her family’s real estate holdings is now underway.
