The Maharashtra government has transferred a probationary IAS officer from Pune to Washim following complaints of alleged misuse of power. She will now serve as supernumerary assistant collector of Washim.
Dr Pooja Khedkar, who had secured an All India Rank 821 in the UPSC exams, was posted as an assistant collector in Pune.
The action was taken after she was found availing services not given to probation officers. This included the use of a red-blue beacon and a board stating “Maharashtra Government” on her private Audi car.
The situation escalated when she reportedly occupied the ante-chamber of an absent additional collector, rearranging office furniture without his consent and requesting office facilities under his name from staff.
Pune Collector Suhas Divase brought these issues to the Chief Secretary’s attention, leading to Dr Khedkar’s transfer to Washim in Vidarbha. She will now complete her probation as a supernumerary assistant collector there, according to the official order.
“The 2023 batch IAS officer will serve the remaining period of her probation as supernumerary assistant collector in Washim district,” the order stated.
Dr Khedkar’s father, a retired administrative officer, allegedly pressured the District Collector’s office to ensure her demands were fulfilled.
Recent reports suggest discrepancies in her application process as well. It is alleged that Dr Pooja Khedkar submitted fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to secure her position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
Under the OBC category, the creamy layer certificate limitation is an annual parental income of Rs 8 lakh. However, her father, Dilip Khedkar, who retired as a senior Maharashtra government officer, showed a conservative estimated wealth of Rs 40 crore and an annual income of Rs 49 lakh. His total assets, however, are estimated to be over Rs 100 crore. Khedkar contested the recent Lok Sabha election as a candidate of Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, as reported by The New Indian Express.
According to documents submitted to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Dr Khedkar took the UPSC exam under the OBC and visually impaired categories. She also presented a mental illness certificate to the UPSC for her IAS appointment, the report said.
After being selected, Dr Khedkar was summoned by AIIMS Delhi to verify her disability certificate. She declined multiple times, citing a COVID-19 infection in April 2022. After repeated calls, she allegedly provided fake disability verification from a local private hospital.
The UPSC contested this certificate in CAT, but she received her joining order. As per rules, she should not have been posted in her home district of Pune, but she allegedly used her political connections to secure the posting.
After her joining, Dr Khedkar allegedly made demands, such as a VIP number plate for her Audi, allegedly provided by a contractor, in violation of service rules. She even placed a red beacon on her Audi to highlight her status.
