Ironically, it is Pooja Khedkar the probationary IAS officer presently training at the winter Institute that has accused Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase of harassing her. It is reported that Khedkar registered her police complaint with the Washim police on July 15, following physical injuries inflicted on her by her abusive husband.
The complaint has now been passed on to The Pune police and the case is expected to be handed over to the Crime Branch. His statement was recorded on Tuesday and an FIR will be likely to be lodged after the investigation done on his statement.
The decision came following Diwase had officially reported Khedkar’s misdeed to the state chief secretary. He submitted a voluminous report citing the ‘entitlement’ and behavioral problems that the probationary IAS officer exhibited during her probation period at Pune.
Diwase said that Khedkar’s demands were ridiculous and that he also threatened the district staff forcing them to meet his daughter’s needs adding that his name is Deelip Khedkar and he is a retired IAS officer. In his report, he also added that it is not wise to carry on the training of Khedkar in Pune because it seems to create administrative problems.
Later on, the state government shifted the 32-year-old probationary IAS officer to Washim district as an additional collector and District Road Wing Officer upon a complaint by Diwase.
This latest development also arrives in the wake of the Maharashtra government saying that Khedkar’s district training program was suspended due to charges that she physically forged disability certificates to clear civil services examination. Furthermore, she was to be recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration situated at Mussoorie by 23 July for ‘further action. ‘
Khedkar, a candidate in the 2023 batch, has been accused of involving in fake OBC non creamy layer certificates and disability certificates supposedly to sit for civil service exam. The Union Government, it said, has constituted a one-member committee to ‘authenticate the candidature’ of Khedkar and directed the committee to ‘submit it’s report within two weeks’.
Due to the continuing investigations and the accusations against Khedkar, there are questions about the honesty of the civil services examination system and the behaviour of probationary officers. In the course of the case, the interest in the developments and results of the inquiries both from the public and the authorities will be raised.
