Pooja Khedkar, a probationary officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), has found herself embroiled in controversy amid allegations of misrepresentation regarding her “disabilities” and Other Backward Class status to gain undue privileges.
Ms Khedkar was transferred to Washim from Pune earlier this week following complaints about her using ‘Laal Batti’ and ‘Government of Maharashtra’ for her private vehicle.
According to a report sent to the Maharashtra government by Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase, the probationary IAS officer demanded several perks during her conversation with the Pune Collector’s office, including a government vehicle, a cabin, and a house.
Who is Pooja Khedkar?
Hailing from a prominent family in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, Pooja Khedkar has a background of bureaucracy and politics. Her father, Diliprao Khedkar, is a retired officer of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and a politician. She is a 2022-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre who secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 841 in the UPSC exam.
Her father Dilip Khedkar had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on a Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi ticket. Her parents own property worth over 40 crores, including 110 acres of agricultural land, shops, and seven apartments.
The controversy
Her special privilege demands drew scrutiny and criticism from various quarters, including local officials and activists, who questioned the ethics and entitlement exhibited by a probationary officer.
According to reports, Ms. Khedkar availed of the benefits under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities category, claiming to suffer from “blindness and mental illness”. However, despite her successful clearance of the IAS examination, she did not initially attend the mandatory medical check-up at AIIMS. When she did, she refused to undergo a brain MRI scan, which was crucial for assessing the severity of her visual impairment.
These actions have raised significant doubts regarding the authenticity of her disability claims and have become a focal point of the ongoing controversy surrounding her tenure as a civil servant.
Vijay Kumbhar, a Pune-based social activist also questioned her OBC status, claiming she possessed property worth Rs 17 crore. Mr Kumbhar further claimed that her father’s election affidavit shows his income at Rs 40 crore.
“Shouldn’t this be investigated? How can such income fall into the non-creamy layer,” he asked.