Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Faces Mounting Allegations

The Pune police have filed a case following the circulation of an old video in which Puja Khedkar's mother is seen threatening a group of farmers while holding a gun.

The situation for trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar is becoming increasingly complicated, with accusations of false claims in her UPSC application, abuse of power, and now a complaint involving her mother threatening individuals with a firearm.

The Pune police have registered a case after an old video of Khedkar's mother, Manorama Khedkar, brandishing a gun and threatening a group of farmers surfaced online. The video, which went viral, shows Manorama Khedkar in a heated argument with local farmers over a land dispute in Mulshi. In the footage, she is seen waving a pistol while demanding to see land documents, allegedly in her name, and then hiding the weapon upon realizing she was being recorded.

The public outcry following the video's release led to the police filing charges against Manorama Khedkar for voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation. Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh confirmed that the incident occurred a year ago and that the complainant has been identified and verified.

"This incident occurred a year ago. We have identified and verified the individual involved. We will file his complaint and proceed with the necessary legal action," he stated.

Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer, secured an all-India rank (AIR) 841 in the UPSC exam. Her father, Dilip Khedkar, is a retired administrative officer. The 24-year-old is currently under scrutiny for allegedly misrepresenting herself as an OBC non-creamy layer candidate during her UPSC exams and making unsubstantiated claims of visual and mental disabilities. These allegations have intensified the public's focus on the Khedkar family, with additional accusations against her father regarding property acquisitions and land disputes.

Local farmers have claimed that previous attempts to file complaints against the Khedkar family were ignored by the police.

According to exclusive documents obtained by NDTV, a "statement of immovable property for the year 2023" reveals that Puja Khedkar possesses five plots of land and two apartments throughout Maharashtra, with a combined value of an impressive ₹ 22 crore. Additionally, the junior officer is under serious scrutiny for "abuse of power," with accusations that she misused a red beacon, VIP number plates, and a "Government of Maharashtra" sticker on her personal Audi sedan.

When questioned about these allegations, Ms. Khedkar responded to reporters, "I am not authorized to speak on the issue. Government rules don't allow me to speak on this."