Mumbai:
Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who has come under the scanner for alleged irregularities in her selection for civil service, was to report at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie yesterday, but she did not show up.
Ms Khedkar faces a criminal case against her “misrepresenting and falsifying facts” in her application for civil service. The 34-year-old, it is alleged, manipulated her identity to appear for the all-India exam multiple times. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has issued a show cause notice to cancel her selection, and she may also be barred from taking the exam again. Delhi Police have now filed a case against the young officer and probe is on.
“UPSC has filed a complaint with Delhi Police against Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar for misrepresenting and falsifying facts to obtain extra attempts in the UPSC examinations, beyond the prescribed limit. Consequently, a case has been registered under the relevant sections of the law, and investigation has been taken up in Crime Branch,” Delhi Police have said.
On July 16, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie — the apex training institution for IAS officers — put Puja Khedkar’s training on hold in the aftermath of serious allegations against her. She was also asked to report back to the academy by July 23 i.e. yesterday. Ms Khedkar, it is learnt, did not report to the academy, citing personal reasons.
Ms Khedkar hit headlines after Pune collector Dr Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, flagging several demands by the young officer that she is not entitled to during her two-year training. Ms Khedkar had allegedly asked for perks like an office, staff and a government vehicle. It was also found that she used the Maharashtra government tag and red-blue beacon in her private Audi car. Ms Khedkar was then transferred from Pune to Washim.
The selection of Puja Khedkar for the civil service came to light after it was found that she had ranked 821 in the merit list. It was learnt that she had availed of exemption for OBC non-creamy lawyer and multiple disabilities. It was found that she did not appear for the mandatory medical check-up at AIIMS and that the UPSC had cancelled her selection. Later, a private facility’s medical report was accepted, clearing the path for the selection.
Her eligibility for relaxed selection criteria as an OBC candidate from the non-creamy layer also came under the lens. Ms Khedkar’s father Dilip Khedkar is a former Maharashtra government officer, who is now facing a corruption case and has been suspended twice in the past over related charges, including extortion. Puja Khedkar’s mother Manorama Khedkar, a sarpanch, is also in trouble after a video showed her brandishing a gun and threatening a group of people. She has been arrested in an Arms Act case.
