Puja Khedkar joined the services in the year 2023 as a trainee in the Maharashtra cadre, facing allegations of misusing the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Person with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) to clear the civil services examination. Two days before, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) put her training on hold and called her back to the training centre in Mussorie. Following a string of controversies, Puja was recently transferred from Pune to Washim district. The Central Government has set up a committee to investigate these allegations.
Earlier on Saturday, Puja Khedkar refused to comment on the centre setting up a panel to probe her candidature. Puja is under scrutiny for allegedly abusing her authority and submitting fraudulent disability and caste certificates to qualify for the civil services exam.
She was accused of various corruption cases, including unauthorised use of a vehicle equipped with a beacon light and demanding privileges such as a separate office, official vehicle, and staff, which are not typically granted to trainee officers.
The Ministry of Personnel announced in a statement, emphasising that the committee is chaired by a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary under the Central Government and that it will submit its report in two weeks.
The IAS trainee was also accused of removing the nameplate of a senior official at the Pune collector’s office when he allowed her to use his antechamber as her office.
