IAS probationer Khedkar used fake ration card for disability certificate
What's the story
Troubles for Indian Administrative Service probationer Pooja Khedkar appear to be never-ending as more alleged tactics deployed by the 32-year-old to secure the coveted post surface. In the latest edition, she has been accused of using a fake ration card and providing a false address to secure a disability certificate, according to documents accessed by India Today. The documents revealed that the address she submitted belonged to Thermoverita Engineering Private Limited, a defunct company, not a residential property.
False claims
Officer Khedkar's alleged misuse of company address
Khedkar claimed "Plot No. 53, Dehu-Alandi, Talwade" as her residence in Pimpri-Chinchwad while applying for the disability certificate at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital. However, this address was identified as the location of the non-operational company. The officer allegedly used this address to create a fake ration card and, subsequently, a disability certificate, citing locomotor disability. The certificate issued on August 24, 2022, stated that she had a 7% disability in the knee.
Allegations
Tax dues, misuse of power charges against Khedkar
Separately, the tax collection department of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipality reported that Thermoverita Engineering Private Limited owes ₹2.7 lakh in taxes for the last three years. The link between Khedkar and the company is unclear. Additionally, Khedkar's Other Backward Class non-creamy-layer status is under scrutiny following allegations of power misuse. She has been accused of seeking privileges not entitled to her as a probationer, including using an unauthorized red-blue beacon on her private Audi car.
Family scrutiny
Khedkar's father accused of amassing disproportionate assets
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Pune has submitted a detailed report on the property holdings of her father, Dilip Khedkar, who served as the Director of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) until his retirement in 2020. He is accused of accumulating disproportionate assets during his tenure. Her mother is also facing legal action after a local farmer filed an FIR accusing Manorama Khedkar of threatening him over a land dispute.
Investigation progress
Central government forms committee to probe Khedkar
The central government has formed a committee to investigate the allegations against Khedkar. Her district training program has also been put on hold, and she has been summoned back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for "necessary action." Despite these allegations, Khedkar maintains her innocence, claiming that she is a victim of misinformation and fake news. She has filed a complaint of harassment against Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase.