New Delhi:

The Centre has discharged Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled her selection in one of the most sought-after branches of government service.

Ms Khedkar was found guilty of cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits. After cancelling her selection, the UPSC had barred her from taking the entrance exam for life.

The UPSC found her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.

Following the controversy, the UPSC had looked into the data of more than 15,000 candidates who cleared the IAS screening process between 2009 and 2023. “After this detailed exercise, barring the case of Ms Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, no other candidate has been found to have availed more number of attempts than permitted under the CSE Rules,” the UPSC had said, referring to the Civil Services Examination Rules.

Ms Khedkar’s troubles began in June when Pune Collector Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, flagging the trainee IAS officer’s demands for perks such as a car, staff and an office that she was not entitled to during her two-year probation. Thereafter, Ms Khedkar was transferred to Washim.

Amid the row, her selection for IAS came under the spotlight. It was found that she had availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities. It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and she did not qualify for the OBC non-creamy layer tag.

It also emerged that she had not appeared for a mandatory health check-up at a government facility to confirm her exemption for disability.

A video of her sarpanch mother brandishing a gun to threaten people had also emerged. Manorama Khedkar was later arrested. Her father, Dilip Khedkar, is now being investigated in a case of owning assets disproportionate to his income.

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.

Pune:

Manorama Khedkar, the mother of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, was detained by Pune Police this morning for allegedly possessing an illegal firearm. This incident adds to the mounting troubles faced by the young bureaucrat, who is already embroiled in controversies surrounding her UPSC candidature and allegations of misusing her position.

Manorama was hiding in a lodge near the Raigad Fort in Raigad district when Pune Police took her into custody this morning. According to police sources, Manorama will be arrested once she is brought to Pune. 

The detention stems from a viral video that surfaced online recently, showing her brandishing a pistol while confronting local farmers over a land dispute in Pune district’s Mulshi village. The footage, which has sparked public outrage, shows her in a heated exchange with a farmer, demanding to see land documents allegedly in her name. As tensions escalated, she waved the firearm threateningly before quickly concealing it upon noticing a camera recording the encounter.

After the video went viral, the Pune Police took action, registering a First Information Report (FIR) against her. The FIR also names her husband, Dilip Khedkar, a retired administrative officer, as an accused in the case.

Dilip Khedkar also faces a history of corruption charges, having been suspended twice during his tenure as a government officer. His first suspension occurred in 2018 while serving as the Regional Officer in Kolhapur. During this period, the local sawmill and timber merchants association filed a police complaint against him, alleging that he demanded bribes ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 to restore their power and water supplies. He faced another suspension in 2020 due to similar allegations.

The Khedkar family’s troubles extend beyond this incident. Puja Khedkar, who secured an all-India rank (AIR) of 841 in the UPSC exam as part of the 2023 batch, has faced allegations of making false claims in her UPSC candidature and has been accused of misusing her power after assuming her post.

Allegations against her include misrepresentation as an OBC candidate and unsubstantiated claims of visual and mental disabilities during her UPSC exams. Additionally, accusations of her using a red beacon, VIP number plates, and a government sticker on her private Audi sedan have emerged.

Exclusive documents accessed by NDTV indicate that Puja Khedkar owns five plots of land and two apartments across Maharashtra, valued at an estimated Rs 22 crore, raising further questions about the family’s financial dealings.

New Delhi:

The training of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar has been put on hold amid allegations of misuse of power and privileges. Ms Khedkar has been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for “further necessary action”. Ms Khedkar was earlier transferred to Washim from Pune following accusations of manipulating disability and OBC certificates to gain entry into the civil services.

The General Administration Department of the Maharashtra government issued a directive stating, “You are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra.” The directive instructs Ms Khedkar to “join the academy at the earliest” but not later than July 23.

Ms Khedkar, a 2023-batch officer from Ahmednagar, claims to be the victim of a “media trial” alleging that a misinformation campaign has been waged against her.

The authenticity of various certificates submitted by Ms Khedkar to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is currently under investigation. These include certificates indicating visual impairment, which Ms Khedkar submitted under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category.

Despite being referred by the UPSC for a medical examination at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ms Khedkar reportedly missed six appointments between April and August 2022. In August 2022, she applied for another disability certificate from the Aundh government hospital in Pune, but her application was rejected following medical tests.

Ms Khedkar’s troubles began when she was accused of demanding unauthorised perks and facilities while serving as an assistant collector in Pune. Allegations include using a red beacon and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her private Audi car, occupying the office of Pune Additional Collector Ajay More during his absence, and demanding office furniture, letterheads, a VIP number plate, a separate house, and a car. These perks are typically unavailable to probationary officers who are still in their 24-month probationary period.

Following these allegations, Ms Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector. This move was seen as a temporary measure pending further investigation.

An RTI activist from Pune, Vijay Kumbhar, alleged that Ms Khedkar’s father possessed assets worth Rs 40 crore, which would place the family well above the Rs 8 lakh annual income threshold for any reservation benefits.

Ms Khedkar has stated her willingness to testify before the expert committee, expressing confidence that the truth will emerge. “Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out,” she said.

The Pune Police are also investigating Ms Khedkar’s parents in a criminal case involving her mother, Manorama Khedkar, a village sarpanch, who was allegedly seen threatening individuals with a gun over a land dispute in a video. An FIR has been filed against the couple and five others in connection with this incident.

Ms Khedkar has lodged a harassment complaint against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase. According to an official, women police personnel visited Ms Khedkar at her residence in Washim, where she filed the complaint.