Dilip Khedkar, the father of the contentious trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, defended his daughter against the allegations made against her, asserting that she is being unjustly harassed.
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Dilip Khedkar discussed the controversy regarding his daughter’s inappropriate demands and indiscipline during her probationary period in Pune. He argued that requesting a place to sit is not an error.
Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer from the Maharashtra cadre, has faced allegations of abusing her authority as a civil servant. She reportedly demanded a separate office, a car, and a house for herself before assuming the position of Assistant Collector in Pune.
“My daughter has done nothing wrong. Is it wrong for a woman to ask for a place to sit? The matter is sub judice, and a committee has been appointed to investigate it. We should all wait for the final verdict. I believe someone is deliberately trying to make this an issue,” said Dilip Khedkar.
When asked to identify the person he believed was orchestrating the controversy, Dilip declined to name anyone.
Regarding whether Puja applied under the creamy or non-creamy layer category, he responded, “We will present our case to the committee. Legal proceedings are ongoing, so it would be inappropriate to comment further. Everything was done according to the rules, and there was no wrongdoing.”
On the question of why Puja did not appear for an evaluation at AIIMS in Delhi for her multiple disabilities, Dilip called it a half-truth.
“The UPSC has rigorous rules, involving a medical board of 20–25 people at the hospital, making it impossible to submit fraudulent documents,” he explained.
Puja Khedkar recently made headlines after being transferred from Pune to Washim due to her inappropriate demands and indiscipline. She had also unauthorizedly installed a beacon and Maharashtra state government insignia on her luxury Audi car.
There are also allegations that she utilized Other Backward Class (OBC) benefits and disability concessions to secure her position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
The Centre has formed a one-member committee to investigate her conduct and selection process.
It is worth noting that an FIR was registered against the parents of the trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar for allegedly threatening a farmer with a pistol. The Police lodged an FIR based on a farmer’s complaint after an old video went viral in which Puja Khedkar’s mother, Manorama Khedkar was seen pointing a pistol at farmers. Notably, Puja has been in the news for allegedly making VIP demands during training and reportedly faking mental disability to gain concessions in the Civil Services process. The development comes after the central government formed a panel to probe trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s candidature.
Based on the viral video, Manorama Khedkar was booked under sections 323, 504, 506, 143, 144, 147, 148, and 149 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and various sections of the Indian Arms Act. The Police have also booked Puja’s father, Dilip Khedkar, and five others.
