Pune Municipal Corporation issues notice to IAS probationer Pooja Khedkar over illegal encroachment

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 13 (ANI): In a fresh development in the case of IAS probationary officer Puja Khedkar, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials issued a notice of for illegally encroaching part of the footpath at her residence on Saturday.
The notice, which was pasted at the gate of Khedkar's residence, is addressed to her mother, Manorama Khedkar.
The PMC officials conducted a survey of the encroached part of the footpath adjoining the wall of Khedkar's bungalow and attempted to reach the family. However, receiving no response from the members of the family residing in the house, the officials went ahead and pasted the notice on the wall.
The notice states that there is a 60x3 encroachment on the footpath attached to the bungalow, causing inconvenience to the public. It further instructs the removal of the encroachment within seven days, failing which the PMC will take the necessary action.
The PMC's Encroachment Department has reported that Khedkar's residence had unauthorised construction or obstructions on public roads or footpaths within the corporation's jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, IAS probationer Puja Khedkar who has been at the centre of controversy following multiple allegations against her has refused to comment on the centre setting up a panel to probe her candidature. Khedkar who was transferred to Washim from Pune following the allegations said she was not authorised to speak on this matter.
On Thursday, the central government constituted a single-member committee to verify the candidature claims and other details of Khedkar following a controversy over her alleged misuse of power as a civil servant.
The Ministry of Personnel announced in a statement, emphasising that the committee is chaired by a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary under the Central Government and that it will submit its report in two weeks.
Khedkar, a 2023 batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre who secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 841 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam, sparked controversy recently when she used her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate. She also demanded facilities that are not available to probationary officers in the IAS.
Khedkar allegedly submitted fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services exam. Reports claimed that she had also submitted a mental illness certificate.
In April 2022, she was asked to report at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for verification of her disability certificate, but she did not do so, citing Covid infection. (ANI)