Probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar’s training in Maharashtra has been put on hold amid allegations of forgery in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) selection. She is accused of faking OBC and disability certificates to clear the exam. This is the first major action against Khedkar, who was recently transferred to Washim from Pune amid allegations of misuse of power.
The Maharashtra government has ordered Khedkar to return to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie. Currently serving as a supernumerary assistant collector in Washim, Khedkar has been relieved of her duties in Maharashtra.
A letter issued on Tuesday by Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Gadre states that LBSNAA has suspended her district training program and recalled her for further action.
The letter states, “You are hereby relieved from the district training program of the state government of Maharashtra… You are instructed to join the academy at the earliest but not later than 23rd July 2024 under any circumstance.”
Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer from Ahmednagar, came under scrutiny after reports surfaced of her demanding a separate office, an official car, and unauthorised use of a beacon on her private vehicle. Earlier this month, Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase sent a report to the state government detailing “objectionable behavior” by Khedkar and her father.
After completing her MBBS, she attempted the UPSC exam multiple times and allegedly secured a position in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) in 2019. A video of a mock interview shows her explaining that she couldn’t join the IRS due to “technical issues in her OBC allocation.” She then became an assistant director with the Sports Authority of India in November 2021.
In 2021, Khedkar cleared the Civil Services Examination, securing a rank of 821. However, she faces a legal battle against the UPSC in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) after failing to present herself for a medical examination to confirm her disability claim of “blindness and mental illness,” which had qualified her for benefits under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities category.
Reports indicate that Khedkar submitted certificates, allegedly obtained fraudulently, from the District Civil Hospital in Ahmednagar.
On Monday, it was revealed that Khedkar had previously attempted, on at least two occasions, to obtain medical disability certificates. While Pune’s Aundh Hospital rejected her request, a facility in Pipri did not. The Pipri hospital diagnosed her with an “old ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear with left knee instability” and classified her condition as a “permanent disability in relation to her left lower limb,” adhering to the seven percent guidelines for assessing the degree of specified disability.
Adding to the controversy, it has come to light that Khedkar may have submitted a questionable certificate while applying to a private medical college in 2007.
The probationary officer is currently facing investigation by a government-appointed panel regarding the disability allegations, but no criminal case has been filed against her yet. If found guilty, she faces dismissal from service.
While she refused to comment, insisting that “government rules” forbade her from speaking, on Monday, she criticised the “media trial” surrounding her actions.
“Our Indian Constitution is based on the fact innocent until proven guilty. So, media trial proving me guilty is actually wrong. It is the basic right of everyone. You can say it is alleged but proving me guilty like this is wrong,” she said.
Khedkar’s parents are also embroiled in legal issues. Manorama Khedkar, Puja’s mother and a village sarpanch, is facing charges under the Arms Act after a video surfaced showing her brandishing a pistol during an argument. Her father, Dilip Khedkar, a retired state government officer who is suspected of assisting her in securing her position and its associated benefits, is a co-accused in the case.
Before becoming unreachable, Dilip Khedkar defended his daughter, asserting that she had not engaged in any illegal activities and that she belongs to the non-creamy layer of OBCs. According to reservation policies, individuals from families with an annual income exceeding Rs 8 lakh are considered part of the ‘creamy layer’ and are ineligible for reservation benefits.
