IAS officer Puja Khedkar fails to report at Mussoorie IAS academy; may face action

MUSSOORIE/PUNE: Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar failed to meet the July 23 deadline to report at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie and did not appear at the academy on Wednesday as well, officials privy to developments, told TOI. Significantly, following doubts raised about Khedkar's disability claims, the academy is also planning to review the disability claims of several other officers.Officials at the academy said that the validity of disability certificates of some officers who have previously graduated from the academy could be scrutinised.
LBSNAA had suspended Khedkar's training on July 16, instructing her to report by Tuesday (July 23). Since she has missed the deadline, the academy is now considering disciplinary action against her, officials said. "The course of action will be decided by the director in consultation with senior officials," a senior official said.
Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer from the 2023 batch, joined the Pune collector's office as an assistant collector on June 3 but was transferred to Washim on July 8 after a dispute with the district collector.
This came after the Pune district collector, Suhas Divase, reported to the state chief secretary on June 24 that Khedkar had made unreasonable demands, such as requesting a separate office and staff, which she was not entitled to as a probationary officer.
Her conduct with staff and the use of beacon lights with 'Maharashtra Government' stickers on her private car were also questioned. Later, her disability certificates, submitted to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), claiming 7% locomotor disability, 40% visual impairment, and depression, were also challenged. Khedkar also faced allegations of misrepresenting her social category, claiming to belong to the OBC non-creamy layer.