Puja Khedkar Case: Misuse of beacon lights that opened a pandora’s box of alleged forgery & series of court proceedings

Former probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar's candidature was cancelled by the UPSC on July 31. Here are a few important events from the Khedkar controversy.

At a time when the country had just come to terms with a series of paper leak cases concerning crucial entrance examinations, little did the citizens anticipate that another issue concerning the Union Public Service Commission, or the UPSC, would soon be grabbing headlines.

Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, landed in soup ever since she was allegedly found to be using a red and blue beacon on her personal Audi car. The series of events that followed shocked the entire nation. (HT file image)

The day was July 31 when the UPSC cancelled the candidature of Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, and debarred her from all future exams held by the commission. But why?

The spark of the Khedkar controversy ignited after she was allegedly found to be using a red and blue beacon on her personal car.

Not just this, she also ‘occupied’ the chamber of additional collector Ajay More without permission. She reportedly removed office furniture without the officer's consent.

Khedkar was later transferred after Pune collector Suhas Divase wrote a letter to the chief secretary of Maharashtra, wherein, reports suggest, “she sought special privileges, which were not allowed to an IAS probationary officer.”

Moreover, the Pune Police had reportedly said action would be taken against Khedkar for the misuse of beacon lights on her private vehicle.

RTI Activists claimed Khedkar’s appointment was questionable

RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar had claimed amid the controversy that Puja Khedkar's appointment was questionable, as she did not fall under the OBC non-creamy layer category as opposed to her appearing in the civil services exam under the OBC and visually impaired categories. Kumbhar said Khedkar’s father had assets worth ₹40 crore.

In fact, as per news agency reports, an official had told the media that Khedkar had allegedly submitted fake disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to clear the civil services exam.

The reports added that she was asked to report at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi for verification of her disability certificate in April 2022, but she did not do so, citing Covid infection.

Puja Khedkar’s alleged disability:

Khedkar had in 2022 reportedly obtained a 7 per cent locomotor disability certificate from Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital, despite the physiotherapy department reporting there was no disability as such. She allegedly used the certificate to take the civil service exam more than the prescribed number of times.

Candidates must have at least a 40 percent disability to qualify for reservation benefits, states the UPSC.

UPSC issued official notice:

On July 19, the UPSC issued an official notice wherein the commission said it had “conducted a detailed and thorough investigation in the misdemeanour of Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination-2022.”

Further informing about the investigation, the UPSC wrote, “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 & mother’s name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address.”

Subsequently, on July 31, the UPSC issued another press statement wherein it informed that it had decided to cancel the provisional candidature of Khedkar. In the statement, the commission stated that “it has carefully considered the request of Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar and in order to meet the ends of justice, she was granted time till 3:30 pm on 30th July 2024 so as to enable her to submit the response to the Show Cause Notice.”

The notice further added, “It was also categorically made clear to Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar that it was the last and final opportunity for her and no further extension in time would be allowed. It was also conveyed to her in unequivocal terms that if no response was received by the aforesaid date/time, the UPSC would take further action without entertaining any further reference from her. Despite an extension in time allowed to her, she failed to submit her explanation within the prescribed time.”

“The UPSC has thoroughly examined the available data of more than 15,000 finally recommended candidates of the CSEs from the year 2009 to 2023 i.e. for 15 years with respect to the number of attempts availed by them. 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 commission said.

Puja Khedkar’s mother was apprehended on July 18:

It was during the same time when Manorama Khedkar, mother of Puja Khedkar, was apprehended on July 18 from a lodge in Hirkaniwadi village near Mahad in Raigad district, where she had been hiding.

An FIR was registered by the Pune Police after a video showing Manorama Khedkar threatening a group of men with a gun had gone viral, adding to the woes of Puja Khedkar. The Pune Rural Police on later Friday evening said a probe would begin to ascertain facts, including if she possessed a license for the firearm.

The Pune Rural Police has registered the FIR against Manorama, her husband Dilip Khedkar, and five others based on a complaint by a farmer who alleged that he was threatened by Manorama. The FIR under sections 323, 504, and 506 of IPC was registered at the Paud police station. Charges under the Arms Act were also been included.

After a brief judicial custody, Manorama was granted bail and released on August 3, 2024.

Delhi Court denies anticipatory bail to Puja Khedkar on August 1

On August 1, Delhi's Patiala House court had denied Puja Khedkar's anticipatory bail plea. The court had noted that the Delhi Police needed to broaden its investigation and instructed the police to determine if any UPSC insiders were involved in helping her achieve her goal.

Puja Khedkar moves Delhi High Court, says didn’t receive cancellation order

On August 7, Puja Khedkar moved the Delhi High Court challenging the UPSC’s decision to cancel her candidature. She said she was yet to receive the UPSC order cancelling her candidature and only got to know the development through the media.

The UPSC, in its response, stated that it would provide Puja Khedkar with the order cancelling her candidature within two days. The high court has granted Khedkar the liberty to approach the appropriate forum to challenge the cancellation of her candidature.