What Are The Allegations Against Puja Khedkar And Her Parents, What Next For Them?

Dilip Khedkar, a retired government officer and father of controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, has been granted interim protection from arrest until July 25 in a case in which he and his wife are accused of threatening a farmer over a land dispute. Meanwhile, Puja faces legal trouble following a criminal case filed against her by the UPSC.

On Friday, the Union Public Service Commission filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Puja, accusing her of submitting fake certificates to secure her job and demanding special privileges at her workplace.

The trainee IAS faces charges of cheating, and the UPSC has also served a show cause notice for the cancellation of her candidature from the Civil Services Exam 2022 and to debar her from future exams.

Additionally, the Delhi Police crime branch has lodged an FIR against Puja under the IT Act, as well as for cheating and forgery.

Manorama Charged With ‘Attempt To Murder’

Dilip’s anticipatory bail plea came after the arrest of Manorama Khedkar, Dilip’s wife and Puja’s mother, by Pune Police on Thursday for allegedly threatening a farmer at gunpoint about a year ago.

Her arrest came days after a video of her allegedly threatening local villagers over a land dispute with a pistol went viral on social media. The incident reportedly took place in Dhadwali village in Pune’s Mulshi tehsil in 2023.

The video involved a land dispute case where locals claimed the Khedkars had encroached on the land of neighboring farmers.

A first information report was filed against Manorama and Dilip based on a complaint by a 65-year-old farmer, Pandharinath Pasalkar, on July 12.

Following this, Pune Rural Police booked Manorama, Dilip, and five others under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), including Section 323 (dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property).

Additionally, Manorama has been charged with attempted murder.

Dilip Suspended Twice As Govt Official

Dilip has also been embroiled in controversy after reports revealed that he, during his tenure in the Maharashtra government, faced suspension twice, both instances linked to allegations of corruption and extortion.

In 2018, while stationed at the Kolhapur regional office, Dilip allegedly demanded bribes from local businesses to reinstate essential services like electricity and water supply. The accusations, lodged by a sawmill and timber trader, prompted a formal complaint to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

He faced a second suspension in February 2020 under the Maharashtra Civil Services rules. This incident compounded earlier allegations from March 2019 when Sona Alloys Pvt Ltd accused him of soliciting a bribe and engaging in harassment. Additional complaints surfaced from numerous small entrepreneurs, collectively accusing him of extortion and misconduct.

Pune ACB Initiates Inquiry Into Dilip’s Assets

Meanwhile, the Pune ACB has received a complaint seeking an open inquiry against Dilip in connection with alleged disproportionate assets.

An inquiry is already underway by the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s Nashik division. The Pune unit of the anti-graft agency has sought directions from the ACB headquarters.

“An open inquiry against Dilip Khedkar is currently underway at the Ahmednagar unit by Nashik ACB. We have now received another complaint seeking an open inquiry. We have recorded the complainant’s statement and forwarded the complaint to ACB headquarters along with the evidence,” Pune ACB Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe said on Wednesday.

Puja Khedkar’s IAS Training Put On Hold  

Dilip’s daughter, Puja, a 2023-batch IAS officer, is under scrutiny for allegedly using fraudulent means to clear her civil services exam. She is accused of forging Other Backward Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer (NCL) certificates and disability certificates in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) candidature, as well as her conduct during her tenure at the Pune collector’s office.

She came under the spotlight after reports about her alleged demands for a separate office and official car and unauthorised use of a beacon on her private car during her posting in Pune emerged. She was subsequently transferred to Washim from Pune.

Amid the controversy, the government has put on hold the ‘district training program’ of Khedkar, who was earlier transferred to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector from Pune. She has been summoned back to the Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for “necessary action.”