In her first interaction with the media amid serious allegations of misuse of power, trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar said she was "not authorised" to speak about the matter and added that she is happy to begin her new role in Maharashtra's Washim. The 2023-batch IAS officer has hit national headlines in the wake of serious allegations of impropriety and misuse of her position as a bureaucrat. It is alleged that she had been using a siren, VIP number plates and a "Government of Maharashtra" sticker on her privately-owned Audi sedan.