“IAS Officer Puja Khedkar’s Audi, Equipped with an Illegal Red Beacon, Seized”

Puja Khedkar recently made headlines for stirring controversy with her demands for a separate cabin and dedicated staff during her posting in Pune.

Pune: On Sunday, Pune police seized a luxury car used by probationary IAS officer Pooja Khedkar for allegedly installing an illegal red beacon light, an official said.

The Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) issued a notice on Thursday to a private company in the city, the registered owner of the Audi that 34-year-old Khedkar used during her posting. The registered address of the user was listed as Shivane village in Haveli taluka, according to officials.

Khedkar recently made headlines for sparking controversy with demands for a separate cabin and staff during her time in Pune. She is also accused of misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to secure her IAS position.

Allegedly, Khedkar had a red beacon light installed on the Audi and had “Maharashtra Government” written on it without authorization. Following this controversy, she was transferred from Pune to Washim district before completing her training.

” A notice was issued on Thursday for Khedkar’s unauthorized use of a beacon and government sign on her private sedan. The car has now been confiscated, and its documents will be checked as part of an ongoing investigation,” a senior police official said on Sunday. The car was secured with a jammer and barricades.

The Audi had previously accumulated 21 traffic violation challans totaling ₹27,000, which have been paid. According to section 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) 1989, the state government can authorize the use of red or amber beacons on official vehicles for VIPs, VVIPs, and government officials.

In December 2013, the state government, following a Supreme Court directive, reduced the number of government posts allowed to use beacons. By October 2014, the transport commissioner’s office instructed various departments to remove unauthorized beacons. Currently, only top officials above the secretary level, police officers of the rank of inspector general or higher, and regional commissioners can use amber beacons, while top-level district officials can use blue beacons.

The central government has formed a single-member committee to verify Khedkar’s candidacy for the IAS. An additional secretary-rank officer will conduct the probe, and if found guilty, Khedkar may face termination from service, according to official sources.