The Navi Mumbai police have alleged in a report that IAS probationary officer Puja Khedkar tried to pressure its Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vivek Pansare to release a man arrested in a steel theft case.
According to the report sent to the state home department on Wednesday, the incident occurred on May 18 at Panvel police station. The arrested man is allegedly a relative of Khedkar.
Khedkar reportedly contacted Pansare, the Navi Mumbai Circle DCP, and requested the release of transporter Ishwar Uttarwade, who had been arrested in the case.
During the phone call, the IAS trainee allegedly told Pansare that Uttarwade was innocent and the charges against him were minor.
Although Khedkar identified herself as an IAS officer during the call with Pansare, the DCP was not sure over her identity, suspecting the possibility of an imposter, an official said.
However, despite the telephonic call, the Navi Mumbai police did not heed her request, and Uttarwade remains in judicial custody for the alleged crime.
Khedkar recently drew attention when she was transferred from Pune collector’s office to Washim district before completing her training, amid controversies over her demands, such as a separate cabin and additional staff.
After news about the conduct of the 32-year-old probationary IAS officer emerged, the Navi Mumbai police had reached out to the Pune collector’s office and a senior official in the home department.
On the advice of the home department official, DCP Pansare forwarded a detailed report on the alleged phone call – spanning two pages – to Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, who holds additional charge of the home department, through Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe.
In addition to the incident at the Pune collector’s office, there are several other allegations that Khedkar may have manipulated disability provisions and the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure her position in the prestigious Indian Administrative Services (IAS).
Khedkar, who secured the 841st rank in the UPSC examination and is a 2022 batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, allegedly submitted a false certificate claiming visual impairment to gain exemption during the examination.
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Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Centre constituted a single-member committee to investigate the candidature of the IAS officer from Maharashtra cadre, announcing that an additional secretary-rank officer would conduct the probe to verify claims regarding Khedkar’s candidature and other relevant details.
The panel will probe allegations related to fake certificates and scrutiny at the time of her interview, while the IAS Academy will additionally look into her conduct during probation.
(With inputs from PTI)
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