Detested portrayal by someone who is regarded as a public servant: Puja Khedkar, an IAS Trainee

A controversy involving trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar has escalated following the emergence of an old video showing her mother, Manorama Khedkar, threatening a farmer with a pistol

The video, reportedly from 2023, depicts Manorama confronting a farmer in Mulshi tehsil, Pune, over a land dispute. The Khedkar family, which owns significant properties in Maharashtra, allegedly encroached upon neighboring farmland, leading to the altercation. In the video, Manorama is seen brandishing a pocket pistol and aggressively demanding to see land documents, asserting that the land belongs to her. Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer with an all-India rank of 841 in the UPSC exam, is already under scrutiny for allegedly using fake disability and OBC certificates to clear the civil services exam. She hails from a family with a background in public service, with her father being a retired administrative officer.

However, she now faces accusations of “abuse of power,” including using a red beacon, VIP number plates, and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her private Audi sedan. Puja owns multiple properties across Maharashtra, including five plots of land and two apartments valued at Rs 22 crore, with additional apartments in Ahmednagar and Pune worth Rs 45 lakh and Rs 75 lakh, respectively. Due to complaints about her conduct during her probation period, she was transferred from Pune to Washim district. The resurfacing of the video has sparked outrage among local farmers and activists, demanding a thorough investigation into the incident and Puja Khedkar’s actions.

[Image Source: Business Today]