Puja Khedkar's Training Put On Hold Amid Probe, IAS Trainee Called Back To Mussoorie

Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s training in Maharashtra was put on hold on Tuesday amid allegations of forging disability certificates to clear her civil services exam. She has been ordered to return to Mussoorie by July 23.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie has decided to put Khedkar’s District Training Program on hold and issued an “immediate recall for further necessary action”, a letter by Additional Chief secretary of Maharashtra, Nitin Gadre, stated.

“You are hereby relieved from the district training program of the state government of Maharashtra… You are instructed to join the academy at the earliest but not later than 23rd July 2024 under any circumstance,” Gadre’s letter added.

The 34-year-old Maharashtra cadre officer faces accusations of using fraudulent means to clear her civil services exam, including allegedly misrepresenting herself under the physical disabilities and OBC categories and misusing her power and privileges during her posting in Pune. She was later transferred to Washim district.

Khedkar, a 2023-batch officer, had submitted multiple medical certificates to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), one of which indicated visual impairment under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) provision.

(With inputs from agencies)