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.

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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.