Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar is caught in the middle of a massive controversy over claims she made in her UPSC candidature and alleged misuse of power, which included using unauthorised red beacon lights and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her private Audi sedan. Now, Ms Khedkar’s Audi has become the talking point after Pune Traffic Police pointed out that the car has 21 complaints for traffic violations.  

This includes allegations of reckless driving and non-compliance with traffic rules. Authorities have issued a notice to Puja Khedkar seeking a penalty of Rs 27,000.

“We have come to know that your private vehicle has ‘Maharashtra Government’ written at the front and rear, and also fixed a beacon light,” said the notice, and a police official visited her Pune residence to serve it, but there was nobody at home.

Questions have now arisen regarding why the Pune Police did not take action earlier despite numerous traffic violations.

Ms Khedkar is a 2023-batch IAS officer who secured an all-India rank (AIR) 841 in the UPSC exam. She comes from a family dedicated to public service, with her father, Dilip Khedkar, being a retired administrative officer.

She has been under intense scrutiny for allegedly manipulating benefits under the physical disabilities category and OBC quota to secure her position in the Indian Administrative Service.

Amid the growing controversy, the 24-year-old has been transferred to Washim.

Asked about the allegations against her, Ms Khedkar told reporters, “I am not authorised to speak on the issue. Government rules don’t provide (allow) me to speak on this.”

Mumbai today woke up to waterlogged roads and railway lines, flooding in low-lying areas, and water flowing into homes, shops and offices. After incessant rainfall through the night, the downpour intensified sharply early morning. Despite the high tide at 3.39 am not causing any damage, concerns grow as the rain shows no signs of abating. With another high tide expected at 4.09 pm today, authorities in Mumbai and surrounding areas are on alert.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Mumbai and Palghar, indicating chances of heavy rainfall through the day. Thane and Navi Mumbai (Raigad) are under an orange alert, predicting even more severe conditions.

For the last week, Mumbai has been battling severe waterlogging, traffic snarls, and train and flight disruptions due to the heavy rain.

But no flight today as been affected so far, Mumbai airport spokesperson told NDTV.

However, IndiGo Airlines has warned passengers about potential delays and congestion, urging them to monitor their flight status constantly.

“Flights are impacted due to heavy rains and air traffic congestion in Mumbai. Do keep a tab on the flight status,” IndiGo said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

#6ETravelAdvisory: Flights are impacted due to heavy rains and air traffic congestion in #Mumbai. Do keep a tab on the flight status https://t.co/VhykW6WdB1. Wishing you happy and safe travels! ☔

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) July 12, 2024

On Monday, the island city recorded a staggering 300 mm of rainfall, affecting trains, and traffic. This deluge stranded lakhs of commuters on their way to work on the first working day of the week and led to the closure of schools for the morning session.

Stock market today: BSE Sensex and Nifty50, the Indian equity benchmark indices, surged in trade on Friday led by IT sector stocks. While BSE Sensex crossed the 80,500 mark, Nifty50 was above 24,500.