"Media Trial Against Me": Puja Khedkar Breaks Silence Amid Row

Amid mounting allegations of misuse of power, Maharashtra cadre trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar has spoken out against what she describes as a wrongful media trial.

Khedkar, who faces accusations of using fraudulent OBC and disabilities certificates to secure seats in both UPSC and MBBS exams, emphasised the presumption of innocence until proven guilty under India's Constitution.

"Our Constitution upholds the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty'. Therefore, the media's portrayal of me as guilty is fundamentally flawed. It is the basic right of every individual. Allegations can be made, but declaring me guilty in this manner is unjust," Khedkar asserted during her interaction with the media.

She expressed willingness to appear before an expert committee and abide by its decision. Recently transferred from Pune to Wasim, Khedkar gained attention for allegedly using a red-blue beacon and a Government of Maharashtra sticker on her private Audi car.

Addressing the allegations of using a fake OBC non-creamy layer certificate, Khedkar defended herself, pointing out discrepancies in income criteria. 

"As per regulations, only those falling under the OBC non-creamy layer category have parents with an annual income under ₹8 lakh. However, their income reportedly amounts to ₹40 crore, as declared during their participation in the recent Lok Sabha elections, with all property details listed in their affidavit," she clarified.