Puja Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer, has had her training in Maharashtra suspended amid allegations of forging disability certificates to clear the Civil Services examination. The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie issued a letter on Tuesday stating that Khedkar's District Training Program is on hold and she has been recalled for further necessary action.

Currently serving as the Super Numerary Assistant Collector in Washim, Maharashtra, Khedkar has been relieved from her duties and instructed to report back to the Academy no later than July 23.

The controversy began when Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, allegedly requested special privileges from the Pune Collector’s office that were not permitted for her designation. Following this incident, she was transferred from Pune to Washim.

Further investigation revealed that Khedkar had claimed to be visually impaired and mentally ill in the affidavit submitted to the Union Public Service Commission to avail special concessions during her UPSC selection. These concessions enabled her to secure an All India Rank (AIR) of 821 despite low examination marks. The authenticity of the certificates she submitted is now under scrutiny.

In response to the allegations, Khedkar stated, "This is a media trial, and people are watching. The truth will eventually come out. According to the Indian Constitution, a person cannot be considered guilty until the charges are proven."

Her father, Dilip Khedkar, a retired administrative officer, defended her, saying, "My daughter has not done anything wrong. Is a woman asking for a space to sit wrong? The matter is subjudice, and a committee has been appointed to look into it. Let us all wait for the final verdict. All I can say is that someone is deliberately trying to make it an issue."

Additionally, Pune Police visited Puja Khedkar's home in connection with a case against her mother, who is accused of threatening farmers with a pistol. The family is reportedly on the run, and three probe teams have been formed to locate them.

The Centre has constituted a single-member committee to verify Khedkar's candidature, and the investigation is ongoing.