IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who is facing allegations of submitting fake certificates to secure her job and asking for special privileges at workplace, could face severe action leading up to termination, government sources told CNN-News18 on Friday, a day after the Centre formed a one-member panel to look into the controversy surrounding her appointment.
Khedkar, a 2023-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Maharashtra cadre, could also be subjected to criminal action if her certificates are found to be fake and forgery is proved. The sources said the probe panel of an additional secretary-rank official in the central government’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) will look into these aspects. The panel is expected to submit its report within two weeks.
The 34-year-old IAS officer made headlines over her alleged demands for a separate office, staff and quarters — which she is not entitled to as a probationer. Pune police are probing charges that she used a red beacon and an insignia of the Maharashtra government on her private Audi vehicle.
Another major allegation pertains to her disability certificate submitted to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). According to media reports, she told the UPSC that she was visually and mentally challenged, in order to get special concessions in the selection process. But she refused to undergo medical tests on several occasions; even specially abled UPSC aspirants, who crack the prestigious test, are required to undergo medical tests. Subsequently, she submitted an MRI report, which was first rejected and later accepted.
Her claim in job application that she belonged to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer — which would contribute to her selection — is also under the scanner. Pune RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar has said Khedkar’s father, a retired administrative officer who unsuccessfully fought the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, has assets worth Rs 40 crore. The threshold of annual income for quota under OBC non-creamy layer category is Rs 8 lakh.
Earlier this week, Khedkar was transferred to Washim from Pune, where she was posted as an assistant collector. She secured an all-India rank of 841 in the UPSC exam in 2023, and is currently on a 24-month probationary period.
“I am happy to join duty at the Washim district collectorate and am looking forward to working here,” she said on Thursday. “I am not authorised to speak on the issue.”
Khedkar was transferred to Washim after Pune district collector Suhas Diwase reportedly shot a letter to state additional chief secretary Nitin Gadre and requested him to shift Khedkar to another district to avoid “administrative complications”, according to reports. Diwase sought action against Khedkar for alleged aggressive treatment of junior staff and the unauthorised use of the ante-chamber of additional collector Ajay More, among others, the reports added.
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