'Is a woman asking for a space...': Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar's father defends her, says 'done nothing wrong'

Dilip Khedkar, the father of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, defended her against the allegations made against her. He stated that she is being unfairly targeted and harassed despite having done nothing wrong.

While speaking with India Today, Dilip Khedkar addressed the controversy involving his daughter Puja Khedkar. He spoke about the allegations of inappropriate demands and indiscipline during her time as a probationary officer in Pune. He argued that asking for a place to sit is not a wrongdoing.

Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer from Maharashtra, faces accusations of misusing her position. She has allegedly demanded a separate office, a car, and a house for herself before commencing her role as Assistant Collector in Pune.

"My daughter has not done anything wrong. Is a woman asking for a space to sit wrong? The matter is subjudice and a committee has been appointed to look into it. Let us all wait for the final verdict. All I can say is that someone is deliberately trying to make it an issue," Dilip Khedkar said.

When asked who he believed was behind the controversy, Dilip Khedkar did not name anyone.

"We will present our case to the committee. Legal proceedings are underway and it would not be appropriate to comment on the matter at this time. Everything was done according to the rules and there was no wrongdoing," he said.

When asked why Puja didn’t go for her evaluation at AIIMS in Delhi for her multiple disabilities, Dilip called it a half-truth. He explained, "UPSC has strict rules. There’s a medical board of 20-25 people at the hospital, so it’s not possible to submit fake documents."