Who is Pooja Khedkar, the trainee IAS officer transferred from Pune amid VIP number plate and Audi with beacon light controversy?

Pooja Khedkar, a 2022 batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, found herself amid a controversy after she allegedly submitted fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services exam.

The claim came a day after the probationary IAS officer, who used her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate, was transferred from Pune to Washim following complaints of misuse of power.

Now, reports have emerged that Khedkar demanded a separate house and a car before taking on her role as the assistant collector to the Pune District Collector.

Let us find out who the controversial IAS officer Pooja Khedkar is

• Khedkar appeared for the civil services exam under the OBC and visually impaired categories and she also reportedly submitted a mental illness certificate.

• In April 2022, she was asked to report at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi for verification of her disability certificate but she did not do so, citing Covid infection, the official said.

• Her father Dilip Khedkar, a former state government officer, while contesting the recent Lok Sabha election, had declared his property valued at Rs 40 crore.

• Meanwhile, Pooja Khedkar reportedly appeared for the civil services exam under the OBC category, where the creamy layer certificate limitation is an annual parental income of Rs 8 lakh.

• Pooja has a strong administrative background as her maternal grandfather, Jagannathrao Budhwant was also an IAS officer.

• After joining as a probationary officer in Pune, Khedkar allegedly made several demands, including a VIP number plate for an Audi car, and placed a red beacon on the vehicle.

(With PTI inputs)