Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar mentioned she’s going to testify in entrance of the skilled committee.
Puja Khedkar, the trainee IAS officer within the eye of an enormous controversy over alleged misuse of energy and privileges, has mentioned “The media trial proving me responsible is fallacious”. The 34-year-old faces accusations of utilizing fraudulent means to clear her civil companies examination, together with allegedly misrepresenting herself underneath the bodily disabilities and non-creamy layer of OBC classes.
“Our Indian Structure relies on the actual fact harmless till confirmed responsible. So, media trial proving me responsible is definitely fallacious. It’s the fundamental proper of everybody. You possibly can say it’s alleged however proving me responsible like that is fallacious,” she mentioned.
Ms Khedkar mentioned she’s going to testify in entrance of the skilled committee and she’s going to “settle for the choice of the committee”. “No matter my submission is, I’ll give it in entrance of the committee and the reality will come out,” she added.
Questions had been raised about Ms Khedkar’s appointment within the civil companies after a Pune RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar alleged that she didn’t fall underneath the OBC non-creamy layer as her father had belongings price Rs 40 crore.
“As per the foundations, solely these come underneath the OBC non-creme layer class whose mother and father are underneath 8 lakh each year of earnings, however their earnings exhibits that it’s 40 crore. Her mother and father contested the latest Lok Sabha polls and all of the property particulars are there within the affidavit,” he mentioned.
She can be going through scrutiny for allegedly abusing her authority and submitting fraudulent incapacity and caste certificates to qualify for the civil service examination.
The collector of Pune, the place 2023-batch IAS officer Khedkar was posted as an assistant collector, raised a criticism with the Chief Secretary of the Maharashtra authorities. It was alleged she was discovered utilizing a pink beacon and a “Authorities of Maharashtra” sticker on her personal Audi automotive. She additionally used Pune Extra Collector Ajay Extra’s workplace whereas he was away. She reportedly eliminated workplace furnishings, in addition to demanding letterheads and a VIP quantity plate. She additionally raised calls for for a separate home and automotive — perks which are unavailable for junior officers on probation for twenty-four months.
She was later transferred to Washim district.
“My job right here as a probationer is to work and study and that’s what I’m doing. I can’t make any feedback on that (the probe). Every time the choice of the committee comes, will probably be public and open to scrutiny. However proper now I haven’t got any proper to inform you in regards to the investigation happening,” she mentioned whereas chatting with reporters.
Amid the continued row, it has now emerged the probationary IAS officer had submitted a non-creamy layer OBC Certificates to safe admission to MBBS in 2007.
Arvind Bhore, the Director of Shrimati Kashibai Navale Medical School and Normal Hospital, mentioned Ms Khedkar secured a seat for the MBBS course within the school by means of the Affiliation of Administration of Unaided Personal Medical and Dental Faculties of Maharashtra (AMUPDMC) entrance take a look at and had scored 146 marks out of 200. She was enrolled within the school’s first batch in 2007. She had secured the seat by means of the nomadic tribe-3 class furnishing a non-creamy layer OBC certificates, he alleged.
This was the primary time Ms Khedkar tried to safe such a medical certificates. In August 2022. she once more utilized for a incapacity certificates from Pune however was shot down by medical doctors who examined her and mentioned “it isn’t potential”.
When she was requested about these medical certificates, she mentioned, “The skilled committee has been established to probe these technical issues. I’ll submit my response to the committee. Let the consultants determine. Regardless of the case is, it should are available entrance of the general public.”
A case has additionally been filed in opposition to Puja Khedhkar’s mother and father, Manorma Khedkar and Dilip Khedkar for allegedly threatening farmers with a pistol.
