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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UP: Govt hospital staff booked for sexually assaulting woman in pretext of ultrasound test
Gorakhpur (PTI): A hospital employee was booked for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in the pretext of an ultrasound test here in the district women's hospital, police said on Saturday.
According to the complaint, the woman, a resident of the Gulriha area, visited the district women's hospital on Thursday morning for an ultrasound test.
She was directed to a room, where Abhimanyu Gupta was conducting ultrasounds. When her turn came, the accused allegedly stared at her and told her to remove all her clothes, claiming it was necessary for the test and that a massage would also be required, she said.
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The woman alleged that once she complied, the accused began making obscene advances and tried to force himself on her. When she screamed, he allegedly gagged her, abused her and threatened to kill her before pushing her out of the room.
She said her complaints within the hospital went unheard, forcing her to approach the police.
Taking cognisance of the complaint, the hospital administration constituted a three-member inquiry committee, officials said.
Senior consultant (paediatrics) Dr Jay Kumar said, "The woman has levelled serious allegations against a staff member. Senior officials have been informed, and a departmental inquiry is underway. Strict action will be taken if the charges are proved."
Kotwali Station House Officer Chatrapal Singh said a case has been registered, and efforts are on to nab the accused.
