The Maharashtra government issued an order late Tuesday, relieving the probationary IAS officer from her ongoing District Training Program (DTP) in the state and asked her to return to the Academy.

“As per DO letter DD (SN) PA-2024 of deputy director and in charge establishment Lal Bahadur National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie Dated July 16, 2024 it is informed that LBSNAA, Mussoorie has decided to keep your district training program on hold and immediately recall you for further action,” the order said.

“Therefore, you are hereby relieved of the district training program of the state government of Maharashtra. You are instructed to join the academy at the earliest but not later than 23rd July 2024 under any circumstances.”

This means Puja Khedkar’s two-year training programme, which included field exposure for one year, would remain incomplete and this would make her ineligible for a subsequent posting as a regular IAS officer, until she is cleared of the charges and resumes field training.

After one year of classroom training at LBSNAA, Mussoorie, a trainee officer is sent for field training at different levels in central and state governments, of which district training programme is one part.  

Khedkar, who was posted in Pune as an assistant collector as part of her field training, was transferred to the collectorate in Washim district last week after allegations surfaced that she had been violating the rules of her appointment, including mounting of a red-beacon light atop her private Audi car.

It also emerged that, allegedly using her family's influence, she was also pushing for several other privileges that were above her pay grade. Her demands included letter pads, nameplate, separate office chamber and a dedicated staff at her call – none of which she was entitled to as a trainee IAS, the Times of India reported quoting unnamed officials in the Pune district administration.

What is more intriguing is the way Khedkar made it to IAS in 2022, despite her low rank, 821. She qualified under the quota for Person With Disability-5 (Pwd-5), for which she was initially denied appointment. She subsequently filed an affidavit in court claiming to be visually impaired and mentally ill.

The court scheduled her medical examination four times between July and September 2022. But she failed to appear all four times and hence the tribunal refused to give her any relief. In 2023, however, her affidavit was reportedly presented under the Rights of Disabilities Act, 2016 and consequently her appointment was given a go-ahead.

Following media reports about Khedkar's alleged wrongdoings, the Union government set up a single-member probe panel led by additional secretary Manoj Dwivedi in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to investigate the charges, including allegations around her selection into the service.  

DoPT official told The Secretariat that Khedkar could be dismissed from the service if the investigation found her guilty of the charges. For now, she will remain benched at the LBSNAA, the training academy for civil servants in Mussoorie.