Pune Hospital Rules Out Foul Play In Issuing Disability Certificate To IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar

Rajendra Wable, dean of Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital said that the internal report has confirmed that the disability certificate was issued to Puja Khedkar following a thorough assessment.

A hospital in Maharashtra's Pune has said that there was no wrongdoing in the issuance of a seven per cent locomotor disability certificate to Indian Administrative Services trainee officer Puja Khedkar. 

Rajendra Wable, dean of Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital said that the internal report has confirmed that the certificate was issued following a thorough assessment by the hospital's physiotherapy and orthopaedic departments, reported Hindustan Times. The dean also said that the medical test conducted was as per rule and there was no foul play found. 

Khedkar has been caught in the eye of a storm after allegations were levelled against her of forging a disability certificate and OBC quota to seek an advantage during the selection for the civil services examination. 

Wable said that the findings of the investigation also rejected the possibility of Khedkar's claims of having a locomotor disability that warranted any benefits in becoming an IAS officer. 

“It has been clarified that the certificate would not provide any benefits in education or employment,” he said.

The hospital investigated to verify the certificates after receiving a letter from the Collector's office in Pune. 

On the claims that Khedkar had used the address of a private company to get her medical certificate, Wable said that verifying the address does not come under the office work of the hospital, as per the report.  "We just have to see if the person belongs to the Pimpri Chinchwad area or not and that was checked,” he said. 

Earlier this month, Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim for alleged abuse of power by demanding perks and seizing the office of an additional collector, while still in the probationary period. 

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussourie, Uttarakhand had recalled Khedkar and put her probationary period on hold, after allegations against her came to the fore. 

A police case was also filed by the UPSC against Khedkar for attempting the civil services exam beyond the permissible limit by faking her identity.