Inquiry after inquiry: What lies ahead for controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar

NEW DELHI: Probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar's training has been put on hold due to allegations of power and privilege misuse.
She has been summoned back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for further action.
Khedkar was previously transferred from Pune to Washim after accusations of falsifying disability and OBC certificates to enter the civil services.
Posting to recall: IAS trainee faces a string of inquiries
JUNE 3 | Training begins for Puja Khedkar upon joining Pune district collector’s office, and it is supposed to continue till July 30, 2025.
JUNE 24 | Pune collector Suhas Diwase sends a detailed report about Puja’s conduct of seeking special privileges, to Maharashtra’s additional chief secretary.
JULY 8 | State govt transfers Puja to Washim collector’s office as a supernumerary assistant collector till July 30, 2025 The general administration department, in a letter to Diwase, tells him to initiate ‘appropriate legal action’ against Puja’s father, Dilip Khedkar, for his ‘objectionable conduct’ at her workplace at the collectorate. The action is yet pending as the Pune collector is seeking legal advice.
JULY 10 | City police commissioner Amitesh Kumar says police will act against Puja for the alleged use of a red and blue beacon light and a ‘Maharashtra Govt’ sticker on a private car (Audi).
JULY 11 | State OBC welfare minister Atul Save announces a suo motu investigation into Puja’s claim of belonging to the OBC non-creamy layer Central govt sets up a one-member committee to verify her UPSC candidature claims and other details.
The committee is to submit a report in two weeks (July 25) State chief secretary Sujata Saunik prepares a comprehensive report on Puja and submits it to the Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) for an inquiry Additional commissioner of police (east region) Manoj Patil says challans worth Rs26,000 issued against the Audi for various violations have been pending since 2022.
The car used by Puja was registered in the name of Thermoverita Engineering Private Limited on January 27, 2012 Chatushrungi traffic division’s senior inspector Shafil Pathan and his team visit the Khedkars’ bungalow at National Housing Society on Baner Road to inspect the Audi Traffic division sends a notice on the cellphone number linked to the car’s registration number.
A fresh challan is issued under the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) for the use of a red and blue beacon light and a ‘Maharashtra Govt’ sticker on the car Puja reports for duty at Washim district collector’s office Puja’s father Dilip Khedkar says the OBC certificate has been granted as per rules.
JULY 12 | State disability commissioner Pravin Kundlik Puri writes to the Pune police commissioner and the Pune collector stating they should investigate the authenticity of Puja’s disability certificate Paud police register a case of rioting and criminal intimidation against Puja’s mother, Manorama Khedkar, and others in connection with a video in which she is seen brandishing a firearm during an argument with some farmers in Mulshi taluka on June 5, 2023.
Navi Mumbai police commissioner Milind Bharambe sends a report to the state home department saying Puja put pressure on a zonal DCP to release in May 2024 a transporter, Ishwar Uttarwade, arrested in a steel theft case Chatushrungi traffic police division sends a letter to the Pune regional transport office (RTO) seeking documents and details of the Audi used by Puja to find out if there were more violations committed by the car Aslam Thanedar, who claims to be the driver of the Audi, approaches Nigdi traffic police and pays Rs27,400 in fine to clear all the 22 challans pending against the car since 2022.
Additional commissioner of police (east region) Manoj Patil asks the car owner to produce the vehicle before Chatushrungi traffic police for an inspection and verification of documents Pune RTO sends a notice to Thermoverita Engineering Private Limited to explain how and why the Audi had a ‘Maharashtra Govt’ sticker and a beacon.
JULY 13 | TOI reports Puja secured MBBS admission to Pune’s Shrimati Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital in 2007 under the reserved nomadic tribe-3 category Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital’s officials confirm that disability certificates were issued twice (in 2018 and 2021) to Puja.
The hospital rejected her application for a third certificate for locomotor disability in August 2022 as she had applied to YCM hospital in Pimpri where she had been issued a certificate stating 7% locomotor disability Ahmednagar police begin a probe into two videos.
One of which purportedly shows Puja’s father, Dilip Khedkar, in a Mitsubishi Pajero with a ‘Govt of India’ brass plate on the front bumper during a LS poll campaign trail in Ahmednagar Pune police send a notice to the mother of Puja, Manorama, asking why her firearm licence should not be cancelled over a rioting and threatening case Paud police had registered against her.
The Pune Municipal Corporation’s road department sends a notice to Manorama Khedkar, directing her to remove the construction on the footpath outside her bungalow on Baner Road within seven days (July 19).
The Audi used by Puja is impounded Separate teams of Pune Rural and Pune City police visit the bungalow of Puja’s mother in Baner but return from the gates as nobody responded to their calls.
JULY 14 | A police team pastes a notice on the gates of the Baner bungalow. The notice refers to the violation of the licence terms in the wake of misuse of the firearm. It directs Manorama to reply within 10 days (July 23).
JULY 15 | Police teams continue their search for Puja’s parents in a case of rioting and threatening, and an Arms Act case city police chief Amitesh Kumar says police will investigate the allegations of Puja’s “high-handed behaviour” towards staffers during her posting at Pune collector’s office Puja says she should be considered “innocent till proven guilty” Dr Nagnath Yempalle, a civil surgeon at District Civil Hospital, Aundh, says Puja obtained a locomotor disability certificate on August 24, 2022, from Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital, Pimpri.
On October 11, 2022, Aundh Civil Hospital rejected her application dated August 23, 2022, on grounds of the unique disability ID (UDID) Puja calls Washim police personnel to the guesthouse to take her complaint.
JULY 16 | Puja Khedkar’s IAS probationary training is put on hold. She is directed to return to LBSNAA, Mussoorie, not late.