Puja Khedkar Case: 'Wondered Why ₹3 Cr Worth Toyota Land Cruiser Was Parked Near UPSC Main Exam Centre Gate Every Day', Says Maha Academy Founder

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding beleaguered probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, Harshal Patil, founder of MahaAcademy and UPSC/MPSC teacher, posted a memory on his social media handle. Patil recalled seeing a ₹3 crore car parked outside his exam centre in Mumbai every day when he appeared for the UPSC exams.

He mentioned that the centre was the Gauridutta Mittal School in Sion, Mumbai without specifying the year. While Patil did not claim a direct connection between the car and the Khedkar case, he did attach an image of Puja's mother in the post standing near a similar vehicle insinuating it could be the same one. In his post on X, Patil shared a picture of Puja Khedkar's mother Manorama Khedkar, standing with a gun, with a black Toyota Land Cruiser in the background.

As of now, there is no proof that the car belonged to Puja Khedkar or her wealthy family which owns many such, it seems Patil was simply reminiscing about his exam days as the case is in the spotlight. He said he found it unusual to see a swanky car like that being parked outside an exam center for government job.

'Now, maybe we have the answer'

"I gave my last attempt at UPSC mains from the Mumbai centre, specifically from Gauridutta Mittal School, Sion Mumbai. I remember there used to be a black Toyota Land Cruiser parked exactly near the exam centre gate every day. We used to wonder who is this person with a ₹3 crore car attempting for a government job. A Toyota Land Cruiser is not the kind of vehicle you will see every day parked at the gate of the UPSC main exam. Today, one of my friends from that centre reminded me about this after seeing the video of the mother threatening the farmer with a gun with a black Toyota in the background. Now, maybe we have the answer," Patil wrote on X.

Puja Khedkar's Audi seized by Pune cops over violations

Meanwhile, Pune police on Sunday confiscated an Audi car used by controversial trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is being quizzed over alleged misuse of her Other Backward Class (OBC) and Person with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD) certificates. The 34-year-old probationary IAS officer allegedly used a red beacon light on the Audi car and also got 'Maharashtra Government' written on it without permission. Additionally, the notorious vehicle has total of 21 traffic violations worth Rs 26,000.

What Is The Controversy?

On Friday, Pune Rural Police registered an FIR against Manorama Khedkar and Dilip Khedkar, the parents of IAS officer Puja Khedkar, along with five others. This followed a complaint from a local farmer who alleged that he was threatened by Manorama Khedkar. The FIR includes sections 323, 504, and 506 of the IPC and charges under the Arms Act, according to Manoj Yadav, Senior Police Inspector at Paud Police Station.

Puja Khedkar faces multiple allegations, including aggressive treatment of junior staff, illegal occupation of the ante-chamber of Additional Collector Ajay More, misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure her IAS position, and illegally using a red-blue beacon on her private vehicle. She has been transferred to Washim District Collectorate as an assistant collector. Amid massive outrage over the incident, the Centre on Thursday constituted a single-member committee "to verify the candidature" of the 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre.

In between this ongoing controversy, a video surfaced on social media showing Manorama Khedkar threatening a farmer with a gun. Local media reports suggest that the Khedkar family purchased 25 acres of land in Mulshi taluka, Pune district. They allegedly tried to encroach on a neighboring farmer's land, leading to the confrontation where Manorama Khedkar, accompanied by bouncers, brandished a gun to threaten the farmer.