Maharashtra: Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar demanded separate office, car, house for herself. WhatsApp chat reveals

Puja Khedkar, the 2023-batch probationary IAS officer from Maharashtra who got transferred over alleged misuse of power, made some outlandish demands even before taking charge as the Assistant Collector of Pune. Sounds a bit like demanding the company car before joining your job, right?

The probationary IAS officer demanded a separate office, car, and a house for herself even before taking charge. The District Collector flagged these unusual demands to the Chief Secretary.

District Collector's report on Puja Khedkar

The District Collector in his report said that it would not be appropriate to continue Khedkar's training in Pune and mentioned this could lead to administrative issues. 

The report also mentioned that Khedkar was offered her own chamber, which she refused to take as there was no attached bathroom. The probationary IAS officer visited the office with her father Dilip Khedkar.

The father-daughter duo proposed to use a VIP hall located next to the mining department as her cabin. Puja Khedkar was told she was not entitled to these facilities while she was on her probation period and accommodation will be provided to her, India Today reported.

WhatsApp chats of Puja Khedkar

After the report came out, the 2023-batch IAS officer has been transferred to Washim for the completion of her training. There, she will serve as a 'supernumerary Assistant Collector' till July 30, 2025. 

Puja Khedkar courted controversy when she used her private Audi car with a red-blue light and a VIP number plate. She also installed a 'Maharashtra government' board on her private car. After this, her appointment documents were investigated. 

It was found that she allegedly submitted fake disability and other backward classes (OBC) certificates to clear the IAS examination. It was also found that Khedkar appeared for the civil services exam under the OBC and visually impaired categories. She also submitted a mental illness certificate as part of her documents. 

Puja Khedkar in April 2022 was asked to undergo medical tests to verify her disabilities. She, however, refused to attend these examinations on 6 different occasions, an official said. An MRI certificate she produced from a private facility, accepted and confirmed her appointment as an IAS officer. 

Discrepancies were also identified in Khedkar's claims of OBC non-creamy layer status. Her father, Dilip Khedkar, who ran in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on a Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi ticket, declared in his election affidavit that his wealth was valued at Rs 40 crore. This raised doubts about her OBC eligibility as well.