Puja’s car challan has been issued 21 times.
Maharashtra’s Pune police seized the Audi car of trainee IAS officer Pooja Khedkar on Sunday (July 14). Pooja landed in controversy for driving around with an illegal red-blue beacon on her luxury car during her posting as an assistant collector in Pune. In the same sequence, it was revealed that the Audi car that Pooja Khedkar was using had violated traffic rules 21 times. Police fines car owner Rs. 27,400 was fined. This fine is now paid by the car owner.
The car is not registered in Pooja’s name, but in someone else’s name. Audi cars are registered in the name of a private engineering company. The Pune RTO on Thursday (July 11) issued a notice to the engineering company that owns the Audi bearing number MH-12/AR-7000. The notice asked the company to present the vehicle for document verification.
Pune Police said that the driver of the Khedkar family has deposited the car in the traffic department of Pune’s Chatursharangi police station. The red-blue lights and Maharashtra administration sticker on the car have been removed. The police are checking the documents of the car. At present, jammers have been installed on the car and barricades have been installed around it.
Since 2022, Audi has had 21 citations pending for traffic violations such as speeding, breaking signals and refusing to stop when asked by the police. But the car owner has now filled them. Traffic police chief Mudshir Mushir said he was on duty at Bhakti Shakti Chowk in Nigdi area. At that time the owner of the Audi car came there. He paid the fine in full.
The father defended his daughter
Pooja’s father Dilip Khedkar, defending his daughter, said that Pooja had used a luxury car for official work as she had no government car available. For this he also sought the permission of his seniors. This car is not his but belongs to one of his relatives. He did not fool anyone by running a red light in the car. Pooja is a 2022 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS officer. He secured 841st rank at All India level in Civil Services Examination. In June last year, he was sent to Pune as a probationary officer.
Investigation in the case is ongoing
Pooja suddenly came into the limelight when she allegedly demanded a separate cabin and staff during her posting in Pune, so she was transferred from Pune to Washim district. Not only this, he is accused of securing a place in the IAS by appearing in the civil services examination under the creamy layer (annual income below Rs 8 lakh) and visually impaired category and submitting a certificate of mental illness. Investigation is going on in this matter.
