Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar's father, was suspended twice by Maharashtra govt. What we know

Dilip Khedkar, former civil servant and father of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, was suspended twice by the Maharashtra government. Khedkar was suspended both the times over allegations of bribery and corruption.

The allegations have surfaced amid the ongoing controversy around his daughter Puja Khedkar, who has been accused of forging disabilty certificates to become an IAS officer. 

Khedkar was first suspended in 2018 over allegations of demanding money to restore power and water supply while serving at the Kolhapur Regional Officer. The Kolhapur Saw Mill and Timber Merchant filed a complaint against Khedkar with the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), India Today reported.

In this complaint, he was accused of demanding Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively for restoring electricity and water supply as well as withdrawing closure notices. On May 24, 2018, Dilip Khedkar was transferred from the Kolhapur Regional Office to the Maitri Cell, Maharashtra State Small Scale Industries Development Corporation, Mumbai but didn't join the new post. 

In February 2020, the former civil servant was suspended for the second time. This time, he faced action under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules and the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, along with the Maharashtra Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules. 

These, however, are not the only allegations against him. In March 2019, Sona Alloys Pvt Ltd accused Khedkar of harassing them for refusing to pay an excessive bribe of Rs 50,000. Another firm Suprabha Polymer and Packaging in Pune accused Khedkar of demanding a bribe of Rs 20 lakh, eventually settling for Rs 13 lakh, in a complaint. 

Around 300-400 small entrepreneurs accused Khedkar of illegally extorting money from business owners and causing trouble to business establishments in the Mumbai region. These allegations made in 2015 when he served as the Regional Officer at the mumbai Regional Office. 

Moreover, he was also asked to take compulsory retirement in 2023 as the Director of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). At present, he owns multiple properties in Mumbai, Pune, Pune Rural and Ahmednagar. 

Dilip Khedkar also fought the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on a Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) ticket. In his election affidavit, Khedkar declared assets and properties worth around Rs 40 crore. 

Meanwhile, a single-member panel appointed by the Central government is probing his daughter's IAS candidacy and her claims of disability. Puja Khedkar's IAS training in Maharashtra has been put on hold and the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy (LBSNAA) has ordered her to come back till July 23 for further action. 

(With inputs from Omkar Wable)