Shortly after controversial ex-probationary IAS officer, Ms. Puja Khedkar sought anticipatory bail before a Delhi court, the plea was denied by the court. Additional Sessions Judge, Justice Devender Kumar Jangala, instructed the police to corroborate if other IAS aspirants had lied to avail similar quotas, saying, “Police are directed to find out if candidates recommended in recent past availed benefits beyond permissible age limit under OBC (Other Backward Classes) quota and PwD (Persons with benchmark Disabilities) benefits… despite not being entitled to it.“
Miss Khedkar had lied about her disabilities and faked her identity – including changing her parents’ names and forging a certificate claiming a ‘non-creamy layer’ OBC status – to pass the Civil Services entrance exam. Ms Khedkar has not been arrested yet and faces charges that include cheating and forgery. Commenting on her anticipatory bail plea, the UPSC stated, “This person (Ms. Khedkar) has abused the law. Chances of her abusing the law are still there.” It must be mentioned that the UPSC has revoked her selection and debarred her from all future exams.
Ms. Puja Khedkar, a 2022 batch ex-IAS officer under training, became a subject of intense discourse over the internet and national television after allegations arose that she had lied about her mental and visual condition, through “fraudulently” obtained certificates from the District Civil Hospital in Ahmednagar, to secure an officer’s post despite an unremarkable score in the ultra-competitive qualifying exam. Khedkar was “diagnosed” with Locomotor Disability and a 7% permanent disability concerning her left lower limb. She also obtained a second certificate, which covered both low vision and mental illness (depression).
The conundrum was fueled when it was learned that Khedkar, while going through the selection process for an IAS post, had refused to undergo a mandatory medical test to confirm her disabilities six times in a row! It is pertinent to mention that she secured an All India Rank of 821 under the Physical Disability (PWD-5) category in the 2022 UPSC exams. The Union government established a one-member committee to verify Khedkar’s candidature and instructed it to submit a report within two weeks.
The Union Public Service Commission initiated multiple actions against Khedkar, including filing an FIR with the police and issuing a Show Cause Notice to cancel her candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022 and to bar her from future examinations and selections.
The entire fiasco unfurled after she made demands for a separate cabin and staff during her Pune posting. She demanded a red-blue beacon light, a VIP number plate, along with a ‘Maharashtra government’ board affixed to her private Audi car and other shenanigans while being posted as the Super Numerary Assistant Collector in Pune.
