Pune Cong demands ED probe against IAS-PO Pooja Khedkar, kin

Pune (Maharashtra): Pune Congress MLA, Ravindra Dhangekar, on Monday demanded that with the series of revelations coming out daily, the Maharashtra government should initiate an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe against the controversial IAS Probationary Officer and Washim Assistant Collector, Pooja Khedkar.

Dhangekar’s call for ED investigations came as Pooja Khedkar’s private car, an Audi-A4 was impounded pending a probe by Chaturshringi Traffic Police Department, and the Centre has set up a one-man committee to investigate all the allegations against her and verify her documents.

Simultaneously, her mother Manorama Khedkar - who threatened some farmers with a pistol - has been slapped with a notice asking why her gun licence should not be revoked.

However, police and civic teams which have been going to the family’s Baner Road bungalow were not allowed entry for the past two days, Manorama Khedkar’s mobile phone is switched off and she is currently believed to be on the run along with her husband Dilip Khedkar, officials said.

“Considering the serial revelations on Pooja Khedkar involving huge assets, money and display of wealth, it appears that the entire Khedkar family is corrupt. All this would not have been possible without political backing and it must be investigated in depth.

“If the government can target the Opposition parties and their leaders with ED probes, then why not the Khedkar family against whom so much has come to light,” asked Dhangekar.

Over the past more than a week, more details about Pooja Khedkar’s purported acts of omission/commission are coming to the fore almost daily, regarding her disability certificate, OBC caste certificate for non-creamy layer, medical college admission documents, alleged manipulation of names to bypass rules, making bizarre demands for perks and privileges she was not entitled to as a IAS-PO and other instances of misdemeanor, that led to her abrupt transfer to Washim.

Aghast over the revelations, some organisations staged angry protests against the Khedkars in Pune, while groups of social activists from Washim have demanded that Pooja Khedkar should be removed from her post in the district (Washim) given the serious allegations against her.

Besides the Centre, Pooja Khedkar is facing multiple investigations by authorities in Pune, Ahmednagar, hospitals, the police and others for various irregularities attributed to her.