New Delhi

Probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar's training in western Maharashtra state was put on hold on Tuesday (July 16) amid ongoing controversy over her selection in the civil services exam. Khedkar is accused of forging disability certificates to clear the highly competitive exam taken by millions annually.

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Also read | Who is Pooja Khedkar? IAS trainee who made VIP demands, transferred

Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), in a letter said that it has decided to place the District Training Programme of Puja Dilip Khedkar on hold. It also issued an immediate recall for further necessary action.

According to the official notice from LBSNAA, Puja Khedkar, currently the Super Numerary Assistant Collector in Washim, Maharashtra, has been relieved from her training duties in Maharashtra. Khedkar has been asked to report back to the academy as soon as possible, and no later than July 23.

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Puja Khedkar controversy: What is it all about?

Khedkar is accused of misusing the disability and Other Backward Class quota to secure a position in the service.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government constituted a single-member committee to verify the candidature of Puja Khedkar.

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Khedkar is a 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre. She kicked up a row after requesting special privileges from the Pune Collector’s office that were not permitted for her designation.

The Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde then transferred her from Pune to Washim district.

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But Khedkar's demand for special privileges and her subsequent transfer became a doorstep of details about her attempts at the civil services exam.

It was revealed in a certificate submitted by her in which she claimed to be visually impaired and mentally ill. Despite her low examination marks, these concessions made it possible for her to clear the exams. Khedkar secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 821.

Puja Khedkar files harassment complaint

Later on Tuesday (July 16),  Khedkar lodged a harassment complaint against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase. Khedkar filed the complaint at her Washim residence. "Women police personnel visited Khedkar at her residence in Washim on Monday, and she lodged a complaint of harassment against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase," an official stated.

(With inputs from agencies)