Puja Khedkar's Father Was Suspended Twice On Extortion Complaints

Dilip Khedkar, a retired Maharashtra government officer and father of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, was suspended twice on charges of corruption. Dilip Khedkar is on the run after a case was registered against him and his wife Manorama Khedkar after a video of the latter threatening some people with a gun went viral. The Pune Anti Corruption Bureau has also initiated a probe against him after a complaint that his assets were disproportionate to his income.

Dilip Khedkar, it is learnt, faced suspension in 2018 and in 2020. Documents accessed by NDTV show that at least 300 small businessmen had complained against Dilip Khedkar in 2015, accusing him of causing "unnecessary trouble" and extortion.

In 2018, when Dilip Khedkar was working as Regional Officer, Kolhapur, the local saw mill and timber merchants association filed a police complaint against him, alleging he had demanded bribes ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 to restore their power and water supplies.

The report also mentions that Dilip Khedkar was on one occasion absent for six to seven months without permission. A complaint dated 2019 accused Dilip Khedkar of demanding Rs 20 lakh from a company.

The 2020 order says Dilip Khedkar was suspended under Rule 3(1) of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979 and sub-section 1(a) of Rule No. 4 of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979 and the Maharashtra Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1983. The order cited multiple complaint against him and also said an inquiry had been launched.

The Khedkars' assets have come under the spotlight amid the investigation against 34-year-old Puja Khedkar, whose selection as an IAS officer has raised many questions.

An ACB complaint has flagged the land, cars and companies owned by Dilip Khedkar. The retired officer was questioned for three days before he and his wife became unreachable. Police are now looking for them.

The prelude to the Khedkars' trouble was a complaint by Pune district collector Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik about trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar's demands for perks she was not entitled to. It soon came to light that she was selected as an IAS officer after she claimed reservation as a person with disability and an OBC candidate. She didn't turn up for a medical check-up to verify her disability claim and submitted a private facility's report.

Puja Khedkar had sought reservation benefits as an OBC candidate from the non-creamy layer -- a candidate qualifies for OBC reservation if his/her annual family income is lower than 8 lakh. But RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar has pointed out Dilip Khedkar's affidavits filed before he contested a Lok Sabha election show that he has assets worth Rs 40 crore.

"Her father, Dilip Khedkar, in his Lok Sabha polls affidavit showed a conservative estimated wealth of Rs 40 crores and an annual income of Rs 49 lakh. The information is in the public domain," Mr Kumbhar said, according to a PTI report.

The Centre has now ordered an investigation into Puja Khedkar's selection into IAS and her training has been put on hold.