Puja Khedkar Attempted UPSC Exam 12 Times, But Urges Delhi HC To Consider Only 5; Here's Why

Former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar urged the Delhi High Court that seven of her 12 attempts to clear the Civil Services entrance exam be disregarded.

Puja Khedkar urged the Delhi High Court that seven of her 12 attempts to clear the Civil Services entrance exam be disregarded.

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In an affidavit filed with the Delhi High Court on Friday morning, former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar urged that seven of her 12 acknowledged attempts to pass the Civil Services entrance exam be disregarded. She requested the Court to only consider five attempts she took under the 'divyang' category. She has also claimed a 47 per cent disability as against the government's 40 per cent benchmark. This comes as the High Court extended Khedkar's interim protection from arrest till September 5. 

Stressing her claims regarding physical disability, the former IAS probationer, who has been accused of cheating and wrongly availing the OBC and disability quota relief, cited a certificate by a Maharashtra hospital, diagnosing her with an "old ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear with left knee instability" to request the court to only consider the attempts in the 'divyang' category.

Under the 'divyang' category also called 'Persons with Benchmark Disability' (PwBD) the government gives nine attempts to persons with disability in the examination.

Last month, UPSC had registered a criminal case against Puja Khedkar and initiated action against her for availing attempts in the civil services exam by faking her identity.

Khedkar asked that her seven attempts as a general category student be disregarded. If the court accepts this request, the number of confirmed attempts will be reduced to five (each of which she passed). This would also mean that her attempts would be four less than the upper limits for persons with disabilities, and one less than that allowed for general category candidates, NDTV reported.

The controversial civil servant made headlines after it was alleged that she hatched a consipracy to get reservation benefits and clear the exam by lying about her physical and mental disabilities, changing her name and surname, forging an OBC certificate, and even showing her parent's marital status as divorced.

Khedkar's violations were unearthed in June after it she was found demanding and securing perks way beyond her pay grade. These included a siren and a 'Government of Maharashtra' sticker for her private luxury car.

The Delhi High Court is currently hearing an anticipatory bail plea by Khedkar, after a sessions court on August 1 rejected her plea. Both the UPSC and the Delhi Police have sought dismissal of her plea for pre-arrest bail.

Khedkar Dismisses Allegations, Says UPSC Has No Power To Disqualify Her

In a rejoinder filed by Khedkar, she has dismissed all the allegations against her, asserting that she neither cheated nor misrepresented during the process of successfully clearing the civil services examination in 2022.

She has also claimed the UPSC has no power to disqualify her candidature as she was selected on the basis of merit in the PwBD category in her fifth attempt. "The attempts given prior to this from 2012 to 2017 was not under this category and cannot be mixed up to disentitle applicant as a disabled candidate," the rejoinder said.

"As such pursuant to the selection and appointment as a probationer, the respondent no 2 (UPSC) ceases the power to disqualify the candidature and DOPT alone can take action under the All India services Act 1954 and the Probationer Rules therein as per Rule 19 of the CSE 2022 Rules," it added, news agency PTI reported.

She also said that the union government, specifically the Department of Personnel and Training, can take action in this regard.

In the rejoinder, she also dismissed UPSC's claim that she had changed her name and surname for one of the 12 attempts. Khedkar clarified that only her middle name was changed and that UPSC cannot claim so as it had verified her identity itself through biometric data collected at the time of document verificiation and personality test.

"There has been no change in the applicant's first name and surname, from 2012 to 2022, as consistently reflected in all DAFs (detailed application forms). The applicant has not manipulated or misrepresented her name to UPSC. On being recommended to DOPT, all necessary verification was undertaken and she was medically examined by the Medical Board constituted by AIIMS as per DOPT which found her disability up to 47 per cent and way beyond the requirement of 40 per cent for PwBD category. The applicant herein says and submits that none of the documents produced are forged, fabricated or created and are issued by the authorities competent to issue the same and the applicant has not misrepresented or cheated the respondent No 2, it added.

The Delhi Police has claimed that providing any relief to Khedkar would hinder the probe into the "deep rooted conspiracy" that she hatched with other persons to get benefits as an OBC+ Non-Creamy layer candidate. The police also said in its status report that the case has wider implications on public trust as well as the integrity of the civil services examination, which could be damaged if Khedkar is granted bail.