The RTO has issued a notice to a Pune-based private company, which is the registered owner of the Audi car that controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar used during her posting here by illegally installing a red beacon light and with 'Maharashtra Government' written on it, an official said.
The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) initiated the action against the company on Thursday, he said.
"The Pune RTO on Thursday evening issued a notice to a Pune-based private limited company, in whose name the car with MH-12/AR-7000 number has been registered. Shivane village in Haveli taluka was mentioned as the address of the registered user," a senior RTO official said on Friday.
"In the notice, the company has been asked to produce the vehicle at the RTO office immediately for an inspection," he said, adding that the Pune RTO has also instructed its flying squad to find out the vehicle and take necessary action.
A photograph of a white-coloured Audi car with a VIP number purportedly used by 32-year-old Khedkar has gone viral on social media.
Khedkar recently came under the spotlight after kicking up a controversy surrounding her demands such as a separate cabin and staff during her posting in Pune. She allegedly used a red beacon light on the Audi car and also got 'Maharashtra Government' written on it without permission.
Following the controversy, she was transferred from Pune to Washim district before the completion of her training.
Besides her conduct at the Pune collector's office, there are also allegations that Khedkar misused the disability provision and Other Backward Class quota to secure a position in the elite Indian Administrative Services (IAS).
Another RTO official said that several challans were issued in the past against the Audi car, which was registered at the Pune RTO on June 27, 2012, for alleged traffic violations.
As per section 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) 1989, the state government can grant permission for the use of red or amber beacon lights on official vehicles to VIPs, VVIPs and government officials.
In December 2013, the state government pruned the list of government posts entitled to use beacons and published a revised list in 2014, on the directives of the Supreme Court. In October 2014, the transport commissioner's office had asked various departments to remove beacons on the vehicles of the officials not entitled to use them.
As per the list, only top officials above the secretary level in the state government, police officers of and above the rank of inspector general of police and regional commissioners are allowed to use amber beacons without flashers, while top level district officials are entitled to use blue beacons.
Khedkar has now taken charge as an assistant collector at the Washim district collectorate in Vidarbha region.
The Centre on Thursday constituted a single-member committee "to verify the candidature" of the 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre.
In a statement, the Centre said the probe would be conducted by an additional secretary-rank officer to verify the claims over Khedkar's candidature and other details.
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