New Delhi: Puja Khedkar, the former IAS trainee IAS officer accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits, allegedly submitted fake disability certificate to clear the Civil Services entrance exam, the Delhi Police told the High Court in its latest status report.
The police said that during investigation and on scrutiny of documents provided by UPSC, it was revealed that Khedkar submitted two disability certificates during Civil Services entrance exams in 2022 and 2023, which were purportedly issued by the Medical Authority in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.
Puja Khedkar’s disability claims fake
However, upon verification, the Medical Authority denied issuing one of the certificates and said that it was not issued by them and it could be “forged and fabricated”. “Disability Certificate (Multiple Disability) vide No. MH2610119900342407 has not been issued by the Issuing Medical Authority, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra as per our Civil Surgeon Office Records, hence the possibility of Disability Certificate forged and fabricated is more likely,” the Medical Authority said.
Puja Khedkar, a former probationary IAS officer, came under fire for allegedly lying about physical and mental disabilities, and changing her name and surname, as well as forging an OBC certificate, to clear the Civil Services exam. The former trainee IAS officer, however, refuted these allegations asserting that she has neither misrepresented nor cheated in the process of successfully clearing the Civil Services Examination-2022.
UPSC’s strict action against Khedkar
On July 31, the UPSC cancelled Khedkar’s candidature and debarred her from future exams. The UPSC had also had initiated a series of actions against the former trainee IAS officer, including registration of criminal case against her for availing attempts in the civil services exam by faking identity. Khedkar said the UPSC has no power to disqualify her candidature claiming that the commission itself verified her identity through biometric data collected during the personality test and all documents were also verified.
In its previous status report, the Delhi Police had said that it was found during the investigation that Khedkar was not entitled to benefits as an “OBC+Non-Creamy Layer” candidate but she hatched a conspiracy with other persons to get that benefit by showing that her parents are divorced. The Delhi Court has granted Khedkar interim protection from arrest till September 5.
