The Union Public Service Commission on Friday initiated action to cancel the selection of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar who was being investigated for lying about her visual and mental disabilities and faking her identity to clear the prestigious civil services entrance exam.
“The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has conducted a detailed and thorough investigation into the misdemeanour of Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination-2022.
“From this investigation, it has been revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father’s and mother’s name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address,” a notification by UPSC stated.
“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 and has issued a Show Cause Notice (SCN) for cancellation of her candidature of the Civil Services Examination-2022/debarment from future examinations/selections, in accordance with the Rules of the Civil Services Examination-2022,” it added.
The development came hours after the Maharashtra government submitted a report in the case to the Centre.
The report revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the examination rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father’s and mother’s name, photograph, signature, her email ID, mobile number and address.
The UPSC also said it strictly adheres to its constitutional mandate, and conducts all its processes, including all examinations, with the highest possible order of due diligence without any compromise.
“The UPSC has ensured the sanctity and integrity of all its examination processes with the utmost fairness and strict observance of rules and has deservedly earned the trust and credibility of a very high order from the public, especially the candidates,” the panel added.
It also said that it is unequivocally committed to ensure that such a high order of trust and credibility remains intact and uncompromised.
Puja Khedkar had been sent to Pune as assistant collector, and later transferred to Washim. This was after news broke that she had secured perks like a siren on her private car, which is not available to on-probation staff.
Other allegations followed that she used fake disability certificates to qualify for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) despite a very modest all-India rank of 841 in the entrance test.
Earlier this week, she was recalled from Washim to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie.
The probationary IAS officer on Wednesday accused Pune Collector Suhas Divase of harassment. She has also accused the press of conducting a “media trial”.
Meanwhile, her parents are now roiled in legal cases of their own. Manorama Khedkar, her mother, has been charged with attempt to murder after an old video of her waving a gun in a man’s face went viral. She has been arrested and is in police custody.
Dilip Khedkar, her father, faces a probe by Pune’s anti corruption bureau after a complaint that his assets were disproportionate to his income. A retired state government officer, he had been suspended twice – on corruption charges – when he was working. He is still on the run.