Media trial is wrong: IAS officer Puja Khedkar breaks silence on fake certificate row

New Delhi: IAS officer Puja Khedkar has found herself at the center of a storm, accused of misusing Other Backward Class (OBC) quotas and disability provisions to secure a position in the civil service. The controversy intensified with claims about her father's assets casting doubt on her eligibility for non-creamy layer benefits.

Speaking to reporters in Washim, Puja Khedkar "I will testify before the committee. I think whatever decision the committee will take should be acceptable to all. My job here as a probationer is to work and learn and that is what I am doing. I cannot make any comments on that." 

What are allegations against Puja Khedkar?

She was transferred from Pune to Washim amidst allegations of high-handedness. Puja Khedkar faced additional scrutiny due to reported demands for special office accommodations and official vehicles. Later, it was alleged that Khardkar, who is the daughter of a retired bureaucrat misused the OBC quota and Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBC) provisions to secure her position as an IAS officer. 

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar says "I will testify in front of the expert committee and we will accept the decision of the committee...I do not have the right to tell you whatever investigation is going on. Whatever submission I have, will become public… pic.twitter.com/vsGISCyRho

— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2024

Defending against media trial

Puja Khedkar defended herself against what she described as a premature media trial, asserting her right to be considered innocent until proven otherwise by an official investigation. She said, "The experts of the government (committee) will decide. Neither I nor you or the public can decide."

Furthermore, she said, "Whenever the decision of the committee comes, it will be public and open to scrutiny. But right now I don’t have any right to tell you about the investigation going on."

The IAS officer refrained from commenting further on the ongoing investigation. "Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out," she said.