In a surprising turn of events, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Amol Mitkari, who had earlier questioned Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Anjana Krishna’s educational and caste certificates—on the basis of which she cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam—has retracted his comments and issued an apology on Saturday, reported news agency PTI.

The controversy began when Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar reportedly rebuked Krishna, the sub-divisional police officer of Karmala, over the phone, asking her to halt action against illegal soil excavation in Solapur district.