Trainee IAS Summoned By Pune Cops Over Harassment Claims Against Collector

Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, caught in a raging controversy for allegedly lying about her OBC status and disabilities in her UPSC candidature, has been asked to appear before the Pune cops tomorrow.

A notice has been sent to Ms Khedkar, asking her to record her statement in connection with her harassment complaint against Pune Collector Suhas Divase, sources in the police told NDTV.

Cops from Washim came to serve her the notice.

Last evening, Ms Khedkar accused Ms Divase of harassment. "I am not aware of any such complaint against me. No one communicated to me about this. So there is no question of giving a reaction. I came to know about this complaint only through media reports," Mr Diwase told news agency PTI.

The on-probation officer is being probed by the Centre for allegedly lying about her mental and visual disabilities and her OBC status to clear the Civil Services entrance exam. She is also accused of abusing her power for a range of incentives and perks that junior officers are not entitled to.

Amid an escalating row, 23-year-old Ms Khedkar was transferred to Washim by Mr Divase after the allegations surfaced. She was recalled from her post here yesterday afternoon and directed to return to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Uttarakhand.

Last week, the Centre set up a single-member panel to investigate the claims she made in her candidature. On Tuesday, Ms Khedkar called the police to her home to share information on "certain matters", sources said, adding that she spoke to three women cops from 11 pm to 1 am.

The Pune Collector's office last week released a preliminary report with screenshots of her WhatsApp chats with an unidentified official Mr Divase's office.

In her messages, Ms Khedkar sought details about her office and a government car, neither of which is available to on-probation officers.

On May 23, 10 days before she joined her posting, Ms Khedkar "impatiently" messaged, "Any update about accommodation, travel, cabin, etc?" There was no reply.

Four days later, she wrote back: "Pls get the designated cabin n vehicle done before I join on 3rd. Later there will be no time. If it is not possible let me know, I will talk to collector sir accordingly..."

The 2023-batch IAS officer faces several allegations - lying about her OBC status, her mental and visual disabilities, using a red beacon that is reserved for VIP government vehicles and a 'Government of Maharashtra' sticker for her private car - an Audi sedan.