In a rather astonishing occurrence, the Pune police earlier on Sunday seized a personal fancy car driven by the infamous trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar. The action was taken given the controversy regarding the misuse of her Other Backward Class (OBC) and Person with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD) certificates.
The official car Audi, which Khedkar had in her possession during her posting, was taken to the Chaturshrangi Police Station several days after the Regional Transport Office in Pune served the city-based private firm that owns the car with a show cause notice. A senior police official said on Thursday that a notice had been served concerning the misuse of a beacon light and a government emblem on the said car.
“The car now has been confiscated, its documents will be checked, and we are probing the matter further,” the official said.
This is the next development in the story involving Khedkar, a 34-year-old probationary IAS member. She had earlier incurred the wrath of many over her call for facilities that are normally not extended to first-timers in reserved civil service employment.
The controversy again reached a new high when a new claim was made that Khedkar had provided the disability and OBC ‘certificates’ to clear the civil services examination.
However, the central government has now created a one-member committee to check the veracity of her candidature claims and inquire into the charges of misuse of power only in her capacity as a civil servant.
Chaired by a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary, is to submit its report within two weeks as stated by the Ministry of Personnel.
This latest twist in the cancellation of Khedkar’s imported luxury car will also continue the controversy pertaining to what elites and behaviors ought to be expected from the senior civil servants of India, let alone during his probationary period.
