September 06, 2024 23:50 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Ex-RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh's aide Prasoon Chatterjee, who was seen at crime scene, detained by ED in money laundering case | Former Delhi minister and AAP MLA Rajendra Gautam joins Congress | Kangana Ranaut announces her film Emergency postponed, says 'still waiting for CBFC certification' | ED raids ex-RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and others' residences in money laundering case | Supreme Court likely to hear RG rape-murder case on Sept 9
Controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother Manorama Khedkar, who was seen threatening farmers with gun, detained
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from X post

Controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother Manorama Khedkar, who was seen threatening farmers with gun, detained

| @indiablooms | 18 Jul 2024, 11:58 am

Pune/IBNS: The Pune Police on Thursday detained controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother, Manorama Khedkar, who was seen threatening farmers with a gun in a viral video, media reports said.

After the video went viral, police had been searching for Manorama and her husband Dilip following a First Information Report (FIR), which was filed against them and five others.

Manorama was threatening the people with a gun over a land dispute.

The mother of Puja Khedkar was detained from Mahad, a city in Maharashtra.

34-year-old Puja Khedkar faces accusations of using fraudulent means to clear her civil services exam, including allegedly misrepresenting herself under the physical disabilities and non-creamy layer of OBC categories.

Khedkar said she would testify in front of the expert committee and will "accept the decision of the committee".

"Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out," she said.

Apart from using a siren on her car, VIP number plates, and a sticker saying Government of Maharashtra, Khedkar had also been found using Pune Additional Collector Ajay More's office while he was away. She reportedly removed his nameplate and furniture and even demanded letterheads.

None of these perks are available for junior officers on probation for 24 months. According to reports, her father, a retired administrative officer, had pushed for her demands to be fulfilled.

Image posted on X by @oldschoolmonkageImage posted on X by @oldschoolmonkage

Apart from the disability claims, inconsistencies were also found in Khedkar's claims to OBC non-creamy layer status.

Questions were raised about her appointment in the civil services after a Pune RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar alleged that she did not fall under the OBC non-creamy layer as her father had assets worth Rs. 40 crore.

"As per the rules, only those come under the OBC non-creamy layer category whose parents are under 8 lac per annum of income, but their income shows that it is 40 crore. Her parents contested the recent Lok Sabha polls and all the property details are there in the affidavit," he said.

The falsified statements and allowances gained allowed Khedkar to pass the uber-competitive Civil Services Exam despite scoring a relatively low all-India rank of 841.

Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim after her 'exploits' - including the use of a siren on her private vehicle, an Audi luxury sedan - came to light.

Pune Collector Suhas Divase had written to the Chief Secretary of the Maharashtra government to request Puja Khedkar's reassignment.

She was later transferred to Washim district.

“My job here as a probationer is to work and learn and that is what I am doing. I cannot make any comments on that (the probe). Whenever the decision of the committee comes, it will be public and open to scrutiny. But right now I don't have any right to tell you about the investigation going on,” she said speaking to reporters.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.