Pune:

Pune court on Monday sent Manorama Khedkar, the mother of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, to 14 days of judicial custody in the case relating to threatening a farmer.

She allegedly threatened a person with a gun over a land dispute in June last year.

Manorama was arrested on Thursday for allegedly threatening a person with a gun over a land dispute in June last year.

Manorama was arrested from a lodge in Raigad district, where she was hiding, and produced before a judicial magistrate. The prosecution alleged that Manorama, along with her husband and three others, threatened the complainant with a gun and added Section 307, stating that she put a gun to the complainant’s head and was about to pull the trigger.

Earlier, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has sealed a company named ThermoVerita linked to Manorama Khedkar, mother of IAS Puja Khedkar located in Pune due to an alleged tax default of Rs 2.77 lakh.

This development comes amidst controversy surrounding probationary IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who had utilized the company’s address to obtain a disability certificate from YCM Hospital Pimpri Chinchwad.

“The property tax for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 for Thermoverita India Pvt. Ltd has been pending for the last two years. Additionally, the current year’s outstanding dues are also unpaid,” said Shekhar Singh, Commissioner of PCMC.

“As their dues remained unpaid in 2023, we initially issued notices and subsequently disconnected their water supply as a graded response. Since the dues have been outstanding for the last two years, our next step was to seal the property,” the Comissioner of PCMC added.

He added that the total outstanding amount for the last two years is Rs 1.96 lakh, and including the current year’s dues, the total comes to Rs 2.77 lakh.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Amid a huge row over the selection of controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar under disability criteria, a senior bureaucrat has questioned the need for quotas for the specially-abled in the civil services.

Smita Sabharwal – member-secretary of the Telangana Finance Commission – said the demands of the job for ground work make the job difficult for those with disabilities. 

“With all due respect to the Differently Abled. Does an Airline hire a pilot with disability? Or would you trust a surgeon with a disability. The nature of the #AIS ( IAS/IPS/IFoS) is field-work, long taxing hours, listening first hand to people’s grievances-which requires physical fitness. Why does this premier service need this Quota in the first place!,” Smita Sabharwal posted on X – earlier known as Twitter.

As this debate is blowing up-

With all due respect to the Differently Abled.
Does an Airline hire a pilot with disability? Or would you trust a surgeon with a disability.

The nature of the #AIS ( IAS/IPS/IFoS) is field-work, long taxing hours, listening first hand to…

— Smita Sabharwal (@SmitaSabharwal) July 21, 2024

Ms Sabharwal’s post drew sharp responses with many calling it “flawed logic” and ignorant. 

“This is such a pathetic and exclusionary view to have. Interesting to see how bureaucrats are showing their limited thoughts and their privilege too,” Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said.

This is such a pathetic and exclusionary view to have. Interesting to see how bureaucrats are showing their limited thoughts and their privilege too https://t.co/n2seGiI0qP

— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) July 21, 2024

“I haven’t seen bureaucrats criticising the misuse of the quota such as EWS/Non creamy layer or Disabilities and getting into the system but rather about doing away with a reservation that promotes diversity and inclusion. I don’t know how you telling about the number of years in service is relevant to your point. Thanks anyway,” Ms Chaturvedi said in another post.

“Amazed that an IAS officer would be so fundamentally ignorant about disability. Most disabilities have no impact on stamina. Or intelligence. But this tweet shows enlightenment and diversity are badly needed,” said senior Supreme Court Advocate Karuna Nandy.

Amazed that an IAS officer would be so fundamentally ignorant about disability. Most disabilities have no impact on stamina. Or intelligence. But this tweet shows enlightenment and diversity are badly needed. https://t.co/DXa0mVU3GU

— Karuna Nundy (@karunanundy) July 21, 2024

“As a trustee of @ncpedp_india, we see thousands of innovative outcomes by people with disabilities, which is inspirational in many ways. NCPEDP was instrumental in getting disabled people in UPSC & we see them struggling daily due to lack of awareness. If given a universal ecosystem, persons with disabilities can contribute to the mainstream society on an equal basis. It’s time we educate ourselves rather than excluding 20 Crore Indians from contributing to a better India,” said NCPEDP Trustee Arvind Gupta.

As a trustee of @ncpedp_india, we see thousands of innovative outcomes by people with disabilities, which is inspirational in many ways. NCPEDP was instrumental in getting disabled people in UPSC & we see them struggling daily due to lack of awareness. If given a universal… https://t.co/M6TUgDSIUY

— Arvind Gupta (@buzzindelhi) July 21, 2024

Puja Khedkar, the 2023-batch trainee IAS officer made headlines a few weeks ago when Pune collector Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, flagging several demands that she was not entitled to during her probation.

This complaint set in motion a chain of events that led to shocking revelations. Questions were raised over how she cleared the tough selection process for UPSC. She was found to have availed of concessions for physical disability and OBC candidacy though she was not eligible.

Her two-year training has now been put on hold, and her selection into the IAS is being probed by a panel formed by the Centre.

Pune:

A sessions court has granted interim protection from arrest till July 25 to Dilip Khedkar, father of controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, in a case where he is accused of threatening a person with a gun over a land dispute.

Pune Rural police on Thursday arrested Manorama Khedkar, his wife and Puja’s mother, in the same case. Manorama was remanded in police custody till July 20.

Dilip Khedkar has moved the court seeking pre-arrest (‘anticipatory’) bail.

Judge A N Mare granted him “ad-interim protection from arrest” till July 25, the next date of hearing, said a lawyer representing him. If the police arrests him before that, he will have to be released on bail, the lawyer added.

A case has been registered at Paud police station against Dilip and Manorama Khedkar besides five others under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder), 144 (unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 147 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and also under the Arms Act.

The First Information Report was registered after a viral video showed Manorama purportedly threatening some persons with a gun at Dhadwali village in Pune’s Mulshi tehsil. The incident had taken place in 2023.

Earlier in the day, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said it had lodged a criminal case against Puja Khedkar for faking her identity to fraudulently avail of attempts in the civil services examination beyond eligibility, and taken steps to debar her from future selections.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, mired in controversy over alleged misuse of power, said today the law will take its course. In her first reaction on the matter, the 34-year-old said,  “Now the judiciary will take its course. Whatever questions there are, I will respond to them. I am coming back and and will give you the byte.”

The Union Public Service Commission has started the process that may lead to cancellation of the selection of the trainee officer, who is being investigated for lying about visual and mental disabilities. She has also allegedly faked her identity and changed the names of her parents to clear the Civil Services entrance exam.

The UPSC has sent a show-cause notice asking Ms Khedkar why her candidature should not be cancelled. Its action will depend on her reply.

The Delhi Police has filed a case that includes charges of forgery, under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and IT Act.

New Delhi:

The Maharashtra government has submitted its report on trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is in the eye of a storm over alleged misuse of power and claims that she made in her UPSC candidature, to the Centre.

The state government’s General Administration Department, headed by Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Garade, has submitted its report to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) after a week-long probe. A copy of the report has also been sent to a one-member committee formed by the central government.

Manoj Dwivedi, the additional secretary in the DoPT, has been tasked to complete the investigation against her in two weeks.

The Maharashtra government’s report is a collection of documents obtained from various agencies to test the veracity of various claims made by Ms Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer, before joining the civil services.

Questions have arisen over her claim of Other Backward Classes (OBC) status. She had also claimed several disabilities to avail of concessions in the UPSC selection process but refused to undergo mandatory medical tests to confirm those.

ALSO READ | Puja Khedkar’s Disability Document Has Factory Address, Ration Card Proof

It is alleged that she did not fall under the OBC non-creamy layer as her father Dilip Khedkar, a former civil servant, had assets worth Rs 40 crore.

The controversy began when she was seen using a siren on her private Audi and raising demands for a separate house and car – privileges not available to junior officers.

The Maharashtra government’s report also mentions her indecent behaviour at the Pune Collectorate where she was posted. The report also mentions that she had installed an amber beacon and the state government’s logo on the Audi she used to drive to work and that she had a dispute with a senior official over the use of the car.

ALSO READ | Puja Khedkar’s Mother Faces Attempt To Murder Charge Over Viral Gun Video

It also mentions the time she spent in Pune and that she claimed the cabin of Additional Collector Ajay More and used her personal car for official duties.

Puja Khedkar To Be Dismissed?

Puja Khedkar may be dismissed if she’s found guilty, sources said. She may also face criminal action if the allegations of hiding facts and misrepresentation are found to be true, sources added.

Ms Khedkar had ranked 841 in the all-India exam. In fact, the Union Public Service Commission that recruits top civil servants had challenged her selection, and a tribunal ruled against her in February 2023.

ALSO READ | Puja Khedkar’s Father Was Suspended Twice On Extortion Complaints

She has now been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie and her training has been put on hold.

“You are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra,” said the General Administration Department of the Maharashtra government.

She has been instructed to “join the academy at the earliest” but not later than July 23.

The academy trains civil servants of the IAS cadre and also conducts the foundation course of Group-A central civil services.

Ms Khedkar had earlier been transferred to Washim from Pune (where she was originally posted) amid the serious allegations.

Pune:

Police on her tail, Manorama Khedkar, the mother of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, used a fake Aadhaar card to get a room at a lodge in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, sources have told NDTV. She had hired a private cab to reach the lodge and was living there with the cab driver, who she introduced as her son, the sources in police added.

Manorama Khedkar was arrested from the lodge this morning in connection with a viral video in which she is seen brandishing a firearm and threatening some villagers, reportedly over a land dispute. She faces multiple charges, including attempt to murder. A Pune court has remanded her in police custody for two days.

Several police teams had been looking for Manorama Khedkar and her husband Dilip Khedkar, a co-accused in the case linked to the viral video. Dilip Khedkar is yet to be arrested.

“Manorama rented a private taxi and reached the hotel. She was staying there with the cab driver and had introduced him as her son,” a highly-placed police source told NDTV. “She had used a fake ID card that identified her as Indubai.”

Police sources have said they tracked her down using GPS and then took her in custody at the lodge. A CCTV camera outside the lodge captured Manorama Khedkar being escorted to a police vehicle before she was brought to Pune and put under arrest.

The video that has put Manorama Khedkar in trouble emerged amid the row surrounding her 34-year-old daughter Puja Khedkar. The 2023-batch trainee IAS officer made headlines a few weeks ago when Pune collector Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, flagging several demands that she was not entitled to during her probation.

This complaint set in motion a chain of events that led to shocking revelations. Questions were raised over how she cleared the tough selection process for UPSC. She was found to have availed of relaxation for physical disability and OBC candidacy, but allegations of her not being eligible for such relaxations surfaced.

Her two-year training has now been put on hold, and her selection into the IAS is being probed by a panel formed by the Centre.

Puja Khedkar’s father Dilip Khedkar has also come under the radar. He is alleged of amassing assets disproportionate to his income. The retired Maharashtra government officer, it was found, was suspended twice on corruption charges after businessmen accused him of extortion. The Pune Anti Corruption Bureau has now launched an investigation against him.

Pune:

Manorama Khedkar, the mother of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, was detained by Pune Police this morning for allegedly possessing an illegal firearm. This incident adds to the mounting troubles faced by the young bureaucrat, who is already embroiled in controversies surrounding her UPSC candidature and allegations of misusing her position.

Manorama was hiding in a lodge near the Raigad Fort in Raigad district when Pune Police took her into custody this morning. According to police sources, Manorama will be arrested once she is brought to Pune. 

The detention stems from a viral video that surfaced online recently, showing her brandishing a pistol while confronting local farmers over a land dispute in Pune district’s Mulshi village. The footage, which has sparked public outrage, shows her in a heated exchange with a farmer, demanding to see land documents allegedly in her name. As tensions escalated, she waved the firearm threateningly before quickly concealing it upon noticing a camera recording the encounter.

After the video went viral, the Pune Police took action, registering a First Information Report (FIR) against her. The FIR also names her husband, Dilip Khedkar, a retired administrative officer, as an accused in the case.

Dilip Khedkar also faces a history of corruption charges, having been suspended twice during his tenure as a government officer. His first suspension occurred in 2018 while serving as the Regional Officer in Kolhapur. During this period, the local sawmill and timber merchants association filed a police complaint against him, alleging that he demanded bribes ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 to restore their power and water supplies. He faced another suspension in 2020 due to similar allegations.

The Khedkar family’s troubles extend beyond this incident. Puja Khedkar, who secured an all-India rank (AIR) of 841 in the UPSC exam as part of the 2023 batch, has faced allegations of making false claims in her UPSC candidature and has been accused of misusing her power after assuming her post.

Allegations against her include misrepresentation as an OBC candidate and unsubstantiated claims of visual and mental disabilities during her UPSC exams. Additionally, accusations of her using a red beacon, VIP number plates, and a government sticker on her private Audi sedan have emerged.

Exclusive documents accessed by NDTV indicate that Puja Khedkar owns five plots of land and two apartments across Maharashtra, valued at an estimated Rs 22 crore, raising further questions about the family’s financial dealings.

New Delhi:

Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, caught in a raging controversy for allegedly lying about her OBC status and disabilities in her UPSC candidature, has been asked to appear before the Pune cops tomorrow.

A notice has been sent to Ms Khedkar, asking her to record her statement in connection with her harassment complaint against Pune Collector Suhas Divase, sources in the police told NDTV.

Cops from Washim came to serve her the notice.

Last evening, Ms Khedkar accused Ms Divase of harassment. “I am not aware of any such complaint against me. No one communicated to me about this. So there is no question of giving a reaction. I came to know about this complaint only through media reports,” Mr Diwase told news agency PTI.

The on-probation officer is being probed by the Centre for allegedly lying about her mental and visual disabilities and her OBC status to clear the Civil Services entrance exam. She is also accused of abusing her power for a range of incentives and perks that junior officers are not entitled to.

Amid an escalating row, 23-year-old Ms Khedkar was transferred to Washim by Mr Divase after the allegations surfaced. She was recalled from her post here yesterday afternoon and directed to return to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Uttarakhand.

Last week, the Centre set up a single-member panel to investigate the claims she made in her candidature. On Tuesday, Ms Khedkar called the police to her home to share information on “certain matters”, sources said, adding that she spoke to three women cops from 11 pm to 1 am.

The Pune Collector’s office last week released a preliminary report with screenshots of her WhatsApp chats with an unidentified official Mr Divase’s office.

In her messages, Ms Khedkar sought details about her office and a government car, neither of which is available to on-probation officers.

On May 23, 10 days before she joined her posting, Ms Khedkar “impatiently” messaged, “Any update about accommodation, travel, cabin, etc?” There was no reply.

Four days later, she wrote back: “Pls get the designated cabin n vehicle done before I join on 3rd. Later there will be no time. If it is not possible let me know, I will talk to collector sir accordingly…”

The 2023-batch IAS officer faces several allegations – lying about her OBC status, her mental and visual disabilities, using a red beacon that is reserved for VIP government vehicles and a ‘Government of Maharashtra’ sticker for her private car – an Audi sedan.

Mumbai:

In yet another addition to the series of revelations in the row surrounding trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, questions are now being raised on a disability certificate issued to her by a Pune hospital.  This is among the several disability certificates that have emerged over the last couple of weeks after her selection into civil service came under the scanner.

She had submitted two certificates issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital in 2018 and 2021 to the UPSC. She had also applied for a disability certificate from Aundh government hospital in Pune in 2022, but the application was rejected after medical tests.

The disability certificate issued by Pune’s Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital is dated August 24, 2022. It mentions Ms Khedkar’s address as “Plot No 53, Dehu Alandi Road, Talawade, Pimpri Chinchwad” in Pune district. But at this location, there is no house, but a factory named Thermoverta Engineering Company. Interestingly, Ms Khedkar’s Audi car, which has been seized after she illegally used a red-blue beacon on it, is registered in the name of this company.

Also, while the government has mandated Aadhaar for getting disability certificates, Ms Khedkar’s certificate mentions that the document she produced was a ration card.

The certificate states that she is “a case of Locomotor Disability” and that the “diagnosis in her case is Old ACL tear with left knee instability”. This means an injury in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament — one of the ligaments that helps stabilise the knee joint.

Ms Khedkar’s certificate mentions extent of disability as 7 per cent.

The Big Question

The disability certificate raises questions on how Ms Khedkar managed to get relaxations during her civil service selection. The 32-year-old had sought relaxation under “person with benchmark disability” category. But UPSC rules identify a “person with benchmark disability” as one with “not less than forty per cent” disability. Ms Khedkar’s certificate mentions the extent of her disability as 7 per cent, much lower than the UPSC threshold.

Earlier, she had skipped multiple appointments in Delhi for medical check-up to verify her disability certificate and then submitted a report from a private facility.

The office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Pune, has now asked police to check the authenticity of the certificates submitted by Ms Khedkar. The Centre, too, has started an investigation to verify her candidature.

How It All Began

Puja Khedkar’s troubles started last month when Pune collector Dr Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, flagging many demands by the 2023-batch trainee IAS officer.

Ms Khedkar, he said, had been demanding a separate cabin, a car, residential quarters and a peon before she joined work at the collectorate.

The collector pointed out in the letter that she is on a two-year probation and is not entitled to these benefits. Ms Khedkar was also accused of removing the nameplate of a senior official at the collector’s office when he was on leave. Amid the row, she was transferred to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector.

The allegations of unreasonable demands proved to be a can of worms as her selection for civil service came under the scanner.

Yesterday, authorities at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration put Ms Khedkar’s training on hold and recalled her for “necessary action”.

The Fightback

Ms Khedkar has alleged a media trial against her and said the “truth will come out” after she presents her case before the probe commitee set up by the Centre.

“I will testify before the committee. I think whatever decision the committee will take should be acceptable to all,” she told the media recently. The Constitution, she said, is based on the fact that you are innocent until proven guilty. “So proving me guilty by media trial is wrong on everybody’s part,” the trainee IAS officer said.

She has also filed a complaint of harassment against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase, who had written to the Chief Secretary flagging her alleged demands for perks. This complaint has been forwarded to Pune Police, but an FIR is yet to be registered.

New Delhi:

The training of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar has been put on hold amid allegations of misuse of power and privileges. Ms Khedkar has been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for “further necessary action”. Ms Khedkar was earlier transferred to Washim from Pune following accusations of manipulating disability and OBC certificates to gain entry into the civil services.

The General Administration Department of the Maharashtra government issued a directive stating, “You are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra.” The directive instructs Ms Khedkar to “join the academy at the earliest” but not later than July 23.

Ms Khedkar, a 2023-batch officer from Ahmednagar, claims to be the victim of a “media trial” alleging that a misinformation campaign has been waged against her.

The authenticity of various certificates submitted by Ms Khedkar to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is currently under investigation. These include certificates indicating visual impairment, which Ms Khedkar submitted under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category.

Despite being referred by the UPSC for a medical examination at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ms Khedkar reportedly missed six appointments between April and August 2022. In August 2022, she applied for another disability certificate from the Aundh government hospital in Pune, but her application was rejected following medical tests.

Ms Khedkar’s troubles began when she was accused of demanding unauthorised perks and facilities while serving as an assistant collector in Pune. Allegations include using a red beacon and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her private Audi car, occupying the office of Pune Additional Collector Ajay More during his absence, and demanding office furniture, letterheads, a VIP number plate, a separate house, and a car. These perks are typically unavailable to probationary officers who are still in their 24-month probationary period.

Following these allegations, Ms Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector. This move was seen as a temporary measure pending further investigation.

An RTI activist from Pune, Vijay Kumbhar, alleged that Ms Khedkar’s father possessed assets worth Rs 40 crore, which would place the family well above the Rs 8 lakh annual income threshold for any reservation benefits.

Ms Khedkar has stated her willingness to testify before the expert committee, expressing confidence that the truth will emerge. “Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out,” she said.

The Pune Police are also investigating Ms Khedkar’s parents in a criminal case involving her mother, Manorama Khedkar, a village sarpanch, who was allegedly seen threatening individuals with a gun over a land dispute in a video. An FIR has been filed against the couple and five others in connection with this incident.

Ms Khedkar has lodged a harassment complaint against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase. According to an official, women police personnel visited Ms Khedkar at her residence in Washim, where she filed the complaint.