On Thursday, controversial IAS officer Pooja Khedkar took charge as Assistant District Magistrate at Washim District Collectorate in Vidarbha region but refused to comment on claims that she used illegal means to pass the civil services examination. Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim on Monday over allegations of intimidation and inappropriate behavior. She is also accused of allegedly misusing benefits under the disabled category and other backward classes to get a place in the Indian Administrative Service.
Now a WhatsApp chat is going viral regarding her demands. This chat is from when she was in Pune. Her WhatsApp chat with a collectorate official shows that she is instructing the officer to provide the things being demanded by her before she takes charge on June 3. She told the officer, 'Please complete the work of the scheduled cabin and car before my joining on the 3rd. You will not have time after that. If it is not possible, then let me know. I will talk to the collector about it.
After taking charge, the probationary officer of the 2023 IAS batch said, "I am happy to take charge at Washim District Collectorate and look forward to working here." When asked about the allegations against her, she said, "I am not authorized to speak on this issue. Government rules do not allow me to speak on this." Instead of using the luxurious Audi car with a red beacon during her tenure in Pune, Khedkar was seen getting down (in Washim) in a simple Bolero car provided by the district administration on Thursday.
On Thursday, when Pune police officials went to Khedkar's bungalow in Pune to inspect the Audi car for red beacon and VIP number violations, they found the bungalow gates closed. A Marathi news channel showed that his mother was inside the gate, and she was trying to chase the camera team away from the spot. Khedkar was transferred to Washim after Pune District Magistrate Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Gadre, requesting that he consider posting Khedkar to another district to avoid "administrative complications.".
Diwase had sought action against Khedkar for her behavior, which included aggressive behavior with junior staff, illegal occupation of Additional District Magistrate Ajay More's chamber, and violations related to installing a red beacon on an Audi and driving it during the day. Washim District Magistrate Buvaneshwari S said, "Probation officer Pooja Khedkar has taken charge in the District Magistrate's office for training as per the order of the Maharashtra government. She will learn and work with various government departments during her training period."