Puja Khedkar Lodges Harassment Complaint Against Pune District Collector

Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar has lodged a complaint of harassment against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase with Washim police.

Khedkar is currently under scrutiny for her claims regarding her disability and OBC certificates while clearing the IAS, as well as for her conduct when she was posted in the Pune Collector’s office.

According to an official, “Women police personnel visited Khedkar at her residence in Washim on Monday when she lodged a complaint of harassment against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase.”

Earlier in the day, Khedkar refused to elaborate on the purpose of the visit by police personnel while speaking to TV news channels.

“I had called female police personnel because I had some work,” she had said.

Khedkar’s Training Put On Hold, IAS Trainee Called Back To Mussoorie

Amid the row, the government on Tuesday put on hold the ’district training program’ of Khedkar as she was summoned back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for “necessary action”.

According to a letter issued by Additional Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, Nitin Gadre, the trainee IAS officer has been directed to return to Mussoorie by July 23.

“LBSNAA, Mussoorie has decided to keep your District Training Program on hold and immediately recall you for further necessary action,” the letter stated.

During the district training programme, a trainee IAS officer undergoes a one-year district training in their allotted State cadre.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, is a training institution for the civil servants.

Who is Puja Khedkar?

The 34-year-old Maharashtra cadre officer faces accusations of using fraudulent means to clear her civil services exam, including allegedly forging Other Backward Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer (NCL) certificates and disability certificates.

She came under scrutiny after reports surfaced of her demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled to as a trainee official during her posting in Pune, where she served as assistant collector. Subsequently, she was transferred to Washim district.

Khedkar, a 2023-batch officer, had submitted multiple medical certificates to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), one of which indicated visual impairment under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) provision.

Last week, the Union government established a one-member committee “to verify the candidature” of Khedkar and instructed it to submit a report within two weeks.

(with PTI inputs)