Controversy Erupts as IAS Officer Puja Khedkar's Family Handles Encroachment Allegations

A controversial unauthorized structure near IAS trainee Puja Khedkar’s family bungalow in Pune has been removed before a PMC deadline. Khedkar faces allegations of misuse of quota benefits and misconduct in her posting. Meanwhile, an FIR against her parents for alleged threats over a land dispute adds to the turmoil.

An 'illegal' structure near trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s family bungalow in Pune has been cleared days after the civic body issued a removal notice, an official announced Wednesday.

Khedkar’s family appears to have taken down the alleged encroachment before the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) deadline was up. PMC officials had posted a notice on July 13 outside the bungalow in Baner Road, instructing the family to remove the 'unauthorized' structure or face civic action and expenses.

While PMC has yet to clear the structure officially, the family likely employed private workers to handle the job, a senior official said.

Khedkar is under scrutiny for allegedly misusing the disability and OBC quota to secure her IAS position and facing allegations of misconduct during her tenure at the Pune collector's office.

In a related development, her parents, Manorama and Dilip Khedkar, have been untraceable since police registered an FIR against them over a video showing them allegedly threatening individuals with a gun during a land dispute in Mulshi tehsil, Pune.

The Paud police have booked Khedkar’s parents and five others under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) sections including 323 for dishonest or fraudulent concealment of property.

A two-minute video allegedly captures Manorama Khedkar, armed with a pistol and accompanied by security guards, arguing vehemently with locals over a land parcel claimed to have been encroached upon by the Khedkars.

The government has paused Puja Khedkar's district training programme, summoning her back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for 'necessary action.' She was transferred from Pune to Washim after her demands for a separate office and a beacon-equipped private car came to light.