‘Proving Me Guilty By Media Trial Is Wrong’: IAS Probationer Puja Khedkar Amid Allegations Of Quota Misuse

Probationary IAS officer, Puja Khedkar, said she will submit her defense to allegations of disability and OBC quota misuse before a central committee. She condemned the 'media trial' in the case.

Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar on Monday addressed the media on allegations levelled against her

Source : ANI

Probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar on Monday asserted her belief that the truth will prevail as she prepares to make her submission before the central committee investigating allegations that she misused disability provisions and Other Backward Class (OBC) quotas to secure a position in the civil service. The 34-year-old officer faces serious accusations of using fraudulent means to pass her civil services exam, including allegedly misrepresenting herself under the physical disabilities and OBC categories.

"I will testify before the committee. I think whatever decision the committee will take should be acceptable to all," Khedkar told reporters in Washim, as quoted by news agency PTI. She emphasised her focus on her duties as a probationer, stating, "My job here as a probationer is to work and learn, and that is what I am doing. I cannot make any comments on that."

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar says "I will testify in front of the expert committee and we will accept the decision of the committee...I do not have the right to tell you whatever investigation is going on. Whatever submission I have, will become public… pic.twitter.com/vsGISCyRho

— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2024

Khedkar further remarked, "The experts of the government (committee) will decide. Neither I nor you (media) or the public can decide. 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."

Addressing questions on whether she is being targeted, Khedkar noted, "Everybody knows what is going on." She cited the Indian Constitution, saying, "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." She concluded with, "Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out."

Khedkar Submitted Fitness Certificate When Securing Admission To Private Medical College In 2007: College Director

In a related development, it has been revealed that Khedkar had submitted a fitness certificate when securing admission to a private medical college in 2007. Dr Arvind Bhore, director of the Kashibai Navale Medical College in Pune, said, "There was no mention of any disability, whether physical or mental, in the medical fitness certificate submitted by Puja Khedkar when she joined our college in 2007."

Dr Bhore added, "She had submitted a certificate showing she is from the NT (Nomadic Tribes) category and from the Vanjari community. She had submitted a caste certificate and non-creamy layer certificate," while speaking to ABP Majha. According to the college's records, Khedkar's date of birth is listed as 16 January 1990.

According to PTI, an official disclosed that all documents presented by Khedkar to secure her candidature in the civil services examination and subsequent selection will be re-examined by a single-member committee constituted by the Union government.

Adding to the controversy, the Pune police have issued a show-cause notice to Khedkar's mother, Manorama, over the alleged misuse of a licensed gun. Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar issued the notice to Manorama Khedkar, who is the sarpanch of Ahmednagar’s Bhalgaon village. This follows a viral video clip from 2023, recently resurfaced, showing Manorama brandishing a pistol at a farmer during a heated land dispute.