'Judiciary Will Take Its Course': IAS Probationer Puja Khedkar As UPSC Files Forgery Case Against Her

The UPSC has registered an FIR against IAS probationer Puja Khedkar for allegedly faking her identity to gain additional attempts in the civil services exam.

File Photo of IAS Probationer Puja Khedkar

Source : ANI

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has registered an FIR against IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accusing her of faking her identity to fraudulently avail additional attempts in the civil services examination. "Judiciary will take its course; whatever it is there, I will reply to that," said Khedkar, addressing the allegations. She moved out of Washim shortly after the UPSC began a series of actions against her.

 “I will return soon,” she said as she got into a private car and sped away to Nagpur, news agency PTI reported. 

VIDEO | "Judiciary will take it's course; whatever it is there, I will reply to that," says controversial IAS probationer Puja Khedkar on UPSC registering an FIR against her for allegedly “faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts beyond permissible limit”. pic.twitter.com/OVWJSm59aB

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 19, 2024

On Friday, the UPSC initiated several actions against Khedkar, including the registration of a police case. She has been issued a show-cause notice for the potential cancellation of her candidature in the Civil Services Examination 2022 and a possible debarment from future examinations and selections, PTI reported. 

Khedkar, a 2023 batch probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was declared qualified in the civil services examination of 2022 and assigned to her home state of Maharashtra. However, she is now accused of misusing her power and privileges during her training at the Pune District Collectorate. Allegations include demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled to, bullying colleagues, and using a private Audi with a red-blue beacon and 'Maharashtra government' written on it, as per PTI.

Following a report from the Pune District Collector, Khedkar was transferred to the Washim District Collectorate in the Vidarbha region.

Delhi Police Crime Branch has filed a case against Puja Khedkar under sections of Forgery, cheating, IT Act and disability act, news agency ANI reported.

UPSC Probe On IAS Probationer Puja Khedkar

The UPSC, in an official statement, detailed its investigation into Khedkar’s conduct, revealing that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit by altering her name, her parents' names, her photograph/signature, email ID, mobile number, and address. "The UPSC has, therefore, initiated a series of actions against her, including criminal prosecution by filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the police authorities," the statement read, as quoted by PTI.

The commission emphasised its commitment to maintaining the integrity and fairness of its examination processes. "The UPSC stringently adheres to its constitutional mandate, conducting all its processes, including examinations, with the highest possible order of due diligence without any compromise," it stated. The UPSC asserted that it has earned and will continue to maintain the public's trust and credibility.

Following the exposure of Khedkar’s alleged misuse of disability and OBC (non-creamy layer) quotas, the Centre formed a single-member probe committee on July 11, headed by Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training, to investigate the matter further. The committee has been directed to submit its report within two weeks.

According to UPSC records, Khedkar secured the 821st rank in the 2022 examination under the OBC category as a person with multiple disabilities. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, reserves at least four per cent of government recruitment seats for candidates with benchmark disabilities, including those with multiple disabilities. These candidates, along with those in the OBC (non-creamy layer) category, benefit from age relaxation and reserved vacancies in the civil services exam conducted by the UPSC.

The UPSC conducts the civil services examination annually in three stages: preliminary, main, and interview, to select officers for the IAS, Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), among others. OBC candidates with an annual household income of less than Rs 8 lakh are eligible for non-creamy layer reservation benefits in certain government job recruitments.