IAS trainee Ms. Puja Khedkar lately went all guns blazing against the media when inquired about the developments in the contentious “fake certificates” saga. Ms. Khedkar, who has been asked to testify before a central committee probing the serious charges lodged against her, said, “Whenever the decision of the committee comes, it will be public and open to scrutiny. But right now I don’t have any right to tell you about the investigation going on.”
Ms. Khedkar, who has become the cynosure of all allegations and contempt regarding the UPSC & Indian Administrative Service, further stated, “The Indian Constitution is based on the fact that you are innocent till proven guilty. So proving me guilty by media trial is wrong on everybody’s part.”
Officer Khedkar, an IAS Officer under training, has become 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. Ms. 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 controversy was fueled when it was learnt that Ms 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 had secured an All India Rank of 821 under the Physical Disability (PWD-5) category in the 2022 UPSC exams.
As if the controversy surrounding the young IAS officer had not been enough, College Director Mr. Arvind Bhore stated that she got her MBBS seat in Pune’s Shrimati Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital in 2007 by reserved nomadic tribe-3 category furnishing a non-creamy-layer-OBC-certificate.
The contentious issue arose after she allegedly 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. The Chaturshringi traffic police division sent her a notice asking for the car to be brought for verification. The car was handed over to the police after removing the beacon and the stickers. The Audi had multiple pending e-challans, worth Rs 26,000 against 21 challans, issued against traffic violations — later paid off by the family’s driver.
Father Defends IAS Trainee Amid Central Probe and Fraud Allegations
Officer Khedkar’s father Mr. Dilip Khedkar, a former Maharashtra government employee, contested the allegations, stating she indeed belongs to the non-creamy layer. Despite declaring property worth Rs 40 crore in his election affidavit, he clarified that creamy-layer classification depends on income, not property valuation. He also defended her use of a private luxury car for official work, claiming it was done with proper permission due to the unavailability of a government vehicle.
Mr. Dilip Khedkar addressed the allegations of misuse of disability certificates, stating that Puja meets the government-established disability criteria and had missed some medical check-ups due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2022, she was asked to report to AIIMS, Delhi for verification of her disability certificate but cited COVID-19 infection for not doing so.
The Centre has formed a single-member committee to re-examine Puja’s documents submitted for her civil services examination and IAS selection. The 2023 batch IAS officer, currently under probation, is posted in her home cadre, Maharashtra. If proven guilty, Officer Khedkar will be sacked.
