Controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar missing from training academy

PTC News Desk: Puja Khedkar, a contentious probationary IAS officer who is suspected of fabricating caste and handicap documents in order to be selected, neglected to show up for work at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie on Tuesday as scheduled.

Khedkar’s training programme was suspended and she was called back to the academy as the controversy surrounding her selection grew. By July 23, she was summoned to report. Civil servants can receive training at the LBSNAA in Mussoorie.

Puja Khedkar received a letter from Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Gadre on July 16 informing her that her time as a government trainee had come to an end. According to sources, Puja Khedkar has not responded to the letter or reported to the institution.

“Puja Khedkar, an IAS 2023 batch member, will have her district training placed on hold and will be called back to the Academy right away for any additional actions that need to be taken. In a letter addressed to the Maharashtra government, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) urged that the state government release the probationer immediately and instruct her to enroll in the academy as soon as possible, under any circumstances, not later than July 23.

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Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer from the 2023 batch, is accused of abusing the quotas for persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) and other backward classes (OBC) in order to gain selection.

Additionally, she has been charged by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police for allegedly providing the UPSC with fake information regarding her identity in order to be granted more chances at the civil service exams than she is entitled to.

A one-member committee has also been established by the Center to review every document that Khedkar has provided.

Khedkar gained notoriety earlier this month when she was moved from Pune to the Washim district due to allegations of misbehavior, which included using a private vehicle equipped with a beacon light while on probation. In addition, she requested staff, an official car, and a separate office—privileges to which she is not yet entitled as a probationer.

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