The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) have requested the Maharashtra government to provide reports regarding probationary IAS officer Pooja Khedkar. She is under scrutiny for allegedly using fake disability and Other Backward Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer certificates to qualify for the civil services exam.
Vijay Kumhar, an activist from Pune, highlighted that Khedkar herself possesses assets amounting to Rs 17 crore, while her father's assets were reported to be worth Rs 40 crore in his poll affidavit.
According to regulations, candidates whose parents' annual income is below Rs 8 lakh are categorised as OBC non-creamy layer. Kumhar has raised questions about whether this situation warrants an investigation.
The state government has taken action against Khedkar by transferring her from the Pune district collector's office to Washim. This decision follows the circulation of videos on social media showing her private Audi car fitted with a red and blue beacon light, as well as a 'Maharashtra government' board. These actions have prompted accusations of misusing authority and exploiting special privileges not rightfully hers as an IAS probationary officer.
Furthermore, Khedkar has been accused of occupying the ante-chamber of additional collector Ajay More, removal of office furniture without consent, and seeking facilities she was not entitled to.
After writing to the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, Pune Collector Suhas Divase prompted Khedkar's transfer to Washim district, where she will serve out her probationary period as a supernumerary assistant collector.
Concerns have arisen regarding the legitimacy of Khedkar's OBC and disability certificates, which she had submitted for civil services selection. It has come to light that she had missed the medical tests six times.
Lavish assets of the Khedkar family
The parents of Khedkar are reported to own around 110 acres of agricultural land, which social activist Kumhar has described as illegal because the Agricultural Land Ceiling Act allows an individual to possess only 54 acres of land.
In addition, they possess six shops totalling 1.6 lakh square feet and seven flats, including one in Hiranandani. They also own 900 grams of gold, diamond jewellery, a gold watch valued at Rs 17 lakh, and four cars. Furthermore, they own two private limited companies and an automobile company.
Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer of the 2022 batch, was appointed as an assistant collector in Pune in June. She is the daughter of Dilip Khedkar, a former civil servant from Pathardi in Ahmednagar district. Dilip Khedkar had served as the commissioner of the Pollution Control Board of the state and, upon retirement, contested in the Lok Sabha elections from Ahmednagar South with the support of VBA. Her mother, Manorama Khedkar, serves as the sarpanch of Bhalgaon.
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