IAS Officer Puja Khedkar's Audi Car, which had illegal red beacon, seized
Pune: Pune police on Sunday confiscated a luxury car used by controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar for allegedly installing a red beacon light on it illegally, according to an official.
The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) on Thursday issued a notice to a city-based private company, which is the registered owner of the Audi car that 34-year-old Khedkar used during her posting in Pune. The registered user’s address was listed as Shivane village in Haveli taluka.
Khedkar recently came under the spotlight after a controversy surrounding her demands for a separate cabin and staff during her posting in Pune. Additionally, she allegedly misused the disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure a position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
Khedkar is accused of using a red beacon light on the Audi car and having "Maharashtra Government" written on it without permission. Following the controversy, she was transferred from Pune to Washim district before the completion of her training.
"A notice was issued on Thursday against the unauthorized use of a beacon and name sign on the private sedan Khedkar had been using. The car has now been confiscated, its documents will be checked, and we are probing the matter further," a senior police official said on Sunday.
A jammer was put on the car, and barricades were installed around it, he added.
The Audi car, registered at the Pune RTO on June 27, 2012, has faced 21 challans with total charges of ₹27,000 for alleged traffic violations, all of which have been paid, as per officials.
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 revised the list of posts entitled to use beacons, based on Supreme Court directives, and published it in 2014.
The Centre has constituted a single-member committee "to verify the candidature" of the 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre. An additional secretary-rank officer will conduct the probe to verify claims over Khedkar's candidature and other details. She may be terminated from service if found guilty, official sources said.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
