The Union Public Service Commission has recently opposed the Delhi High Court’s consideration of providing ex-IAS Trainee Officer Puja Khedkar with an anticipatory bail in the ‘fake certificate’ conundrum. The UPSC argued that custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate the extent of the fraud, which potentially involves some others. The UPSC further that Ms. Khedkar’s shenanigans could be a part of “a bigger plan.”
The apex recruiting agency for government jobs in India firmly believes that the Delhi HC’s leniency in providing Ms. Khedkar with an anticipatory bail might hamper the investigation. UPSC asserts that the fiasco could not have unfurled if she had not been assisted by other accomplices, such individuals can only be tracked if Ms. Khedkar was taken under custody.
The Commission further cautioned the HC saying that such a decision would embolden those with criminal intent to bypass the legal framework that affects the integrity of recruitment practices for the civil services. The UPSC stressed the need for strict judicial scrutiny of Ms. Khedkar’s fraudulent actions to ensure that the recruitment processes of the prestigious civil services are protected from manipulation.
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 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.
