Shortly after, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) took concrete actions against the controversial probationary IAS, Ms. Puja Khedkar, for fraudulently exceeding the permissible number of attempts by manipulating her identity — her name, her parents’ names, her photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and address, Crime Branch of Delhi Police filed a case under sections of the Forgery, Cheating, IT Act, and Disability Act.
The UPSC has initiated multiple actions against Officer Khedkar, including filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the police and issuing a Show Cause Notice (SCN) to cancel her candidature for the Civil Services Examination-2022 and to bar her from future examinations and selections, as per the Examination Rules.
Mr. Dilip Khedkar Seeks Anticipatory Bail Following Wife’s Arrest:
Ms. Khedkar’s father, Mr. Dilip Khedkar, who is a retired bureaucrat and contested Lok Sabha polls from Ahmednagar, has sought anticipatory bail after Mrs. Manorama Khedkar (Puja’s mother) was arrested for allegedly threatening a farmer at gunpoint about a year ago. It should be mentioned that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (Maharashtra) asked the Ahmednagar ACB unit to submit a report on a complaint of unaccounted wealth made a few months ago against Mr. Khedkar. An open inquiry is being done by the Ahmednagar unit, and a part was done by the ACB in Pune. The report has been sent to the ACB HQ in Mumbai.
Ms. Khedkar became the cynosure of a huge scandal while being posted as the Super Numerary Assistant Collector in Pune, leading to her abrupt transfer to Washim district in central Maharashtra. She secured an All India Rank of 821 under the Physical Disability (PWD-5) category in the UPSC exams.
The controversy started after she was making VIP demands, including the use of her private Audi car fitted with a red-blue beacon light and VIP number plate, along with a ‘Maharashtra government’ board affixed to the vehicle. According to reports, Khedkar had also sought separate accommodation, a cabin, car, residential quarters, and a peon even before officially joining her duties on June 3rd. However, authorities informed her that such privileges were not applicable during her probationary period and that accommodation would be provided accordingly.
