'Subjected to insults,' ex-IAS trainee Puja Khedkar's letter to Maharashtra govt complaining against Pune collector emerges

Khedkar in her letter stated that Pune collector Suhas Diwase's complaint and the media coverage that followed brought her great agony.

In a letter written to the Additional Chief Secretary, Maharashtra, former IAS officer Puja Khedkar had alleged that Pune collector Suhas Diwase had “subjected her to insults” since the beginning of her training at the Pune District Collectorate, according to a report in The Indian Express.

Khedkar was in the thick of controversy with multiple accusations against her, including allegedly availing attempts in the civil services exam by faking identity.

Khedkar was transferred to Washim on July 8, after Diwase had written a letter to Additional Chief Secretary, Nitin Gadre, informing him about Khedkar's "arrogant and entitled behaviour"

Khedkar in her letter stated that Diwase's complaint and the media coverage that followed brought her great agony.

“…Because of this (letter and media coverage) my image has became that of an arrogant officer in the public’s eye. This is causing me mental trauma and I am extremely disturbed,” The Indian Express article quoted the letter originally written in Marathi.

“I don’t know the reason, but since the day I joined as probationary officer, the Pune Collector has been subjecting me to insults,” she added.

The article further reports that Khedkar, in her letter also adressed the claims made regarding her unauthorised usage of the additional collector’s ante-chamber. She said that Additional Collector Ajay More had voluntarily offered it to her when her father, Dilip Khedkar came to visit her.

“Additional Collector Ajay More had voluntarily offered me his ante-chamber and had directed his staff to set it up for me. The staff enquired about my needs and arranged the stationery, etc. After District Collector Diwase sir returned to office a day later, someone informed him about my sitting arrangement in the ante-chamber of the additional collector. Perhaps he was angered by this, he summoned the tehsildar concerned and ordered to remove my furniture from the ante-chamber. When I spoke to him, he alleged that I had encroached the ante-chamber and he wouldn’t listen to any of my explanations,” Khedkar said in the letter.

The article also mentions that Khedkar also allegedly apologised to Diwase, the next day over text message.

Diwase told The Indian Express that the allegations were “nonsensical and made as an afterthought”.

(With PTI inputs)