The Pune Police on Sunday seized the private Audi car used by controversial trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar, who recently faced action over alleged misuse of power. The luxury car was brought to the Chaturshrangi Police Station in Pune for examination and document verification.
Khedkar used a red and blue beacon along with a VIP number plate on the private car, violating the Motor Vehicles Act. She also had 'Maharashtra Government' written on the vehicle without permission.
The car, brought in by the driver of the Khedkar family, is currently being kept at the traffic division of the Chaturshrangi Police Station in Maharashtra's Pune. The beacon and "Maharashtra Administration" written on the car have been removed.
21 traffic violations challans
As many as 21 challans with total charges of Rs 27,000 were issued in the past against the Audi car, which was registered at the Pune RTO on June 27, 2012, for alleged traffic violations. The fine has been paid, as per officials.
The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) on Thursday issued a notice to a city-based private company, which is the registered owner of the Audi car that 34-year-old Khedkar used during her posting here. "A notice was issued on Thursday against the unauthorised use of a beacon and name sign on the private sedan Khedkar had been using. The car now has been confiscated, its documents will be checked and we are probing the matter further," a senior police official said on Sunday. A jammer was put on the car and barricades were installed around it, he said.
Regulations on beacon usage
According to section 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) 1989, the state government can authorize the use of red or amber beacon lights on official vehicles for VIPs, VVIPs, and government officials.
In December 2013, the state government reduced the number of government posts eligible to use beacons and issued a revised list in 2014, following Supreme Court directives.
In October 2014, the transport commissioner's office directed various departments to remove beacons from vehicles of officials not entitled to use them.
As per the revised list, only senior officials above the secretary level in the state government, police officers of inspector general rank and above, and regional commissioners can use amber beacons without flashers. Additionally, top-level district officials are permitted to use blue beacons.
What are controversies around Puja Khedkar?
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, recently sparked controversy. She used her private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate and demanded facilities not available to probationary officers in the IAS.
She allegedly submitted fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services exam. She also submitted a mental illness certificate. In April 2022, she was required to report to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for verification of her disability certificate. However, she did not comply, citing a Covid infection, the official added.
The official said that Puja Khedkar's father, Dilip Khedkar, a former state government officer, had declared assets worth Rs 40 crore while contesting the recent Lok Sabha election. However, Puja Khedkar appeared for the civil services exam under the OBC category, where the limit for the creamy layer certificate is an annual parental income of Rs 8 lakh.
After joining as a probationary officer in Pune, Khedkar allegedly made several demands, such as requesting a VIP number plate for an Audi car and installing a red beacon on the vehicle.
Following the controversy, she was transferred from Pune to Washim district before the completion of her training.
The Centre on Thursday formed a single-member committee to "verify the candidature" of the 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre. The investigation will be led by an additional secretary-rank officer to verify claims regarding Khedkar's candidature and other details, according to a statement from the Centre. If found guilty, she may be terminated from service, official sources stated earlier.
(With agencies input)
