Puja Khedkar exam availed attempts beyond limit, faked identity: What UPSC found in its probe
Puja Khedkar, a 2023 batch Indian Administrative Service officer, was accused of misusing power and privileges during her training in Pune recently.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday announced a series of actions against controversial trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is accused of using fraudulent means to secure a position in the civil service. The Commission said it has filed a first information report (FIR) with the police and issued a show cause notice for the cancellation of her candidature of the civil services examination 2022 as well as seeking her debarment from future examinations.
Read: UPSC moves to cancel candidature of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar
What UPSC found in its probe
The constitutional body, which conducts direct recruitment of officers to the All India Services and the Central Civil Services, found that Puja Khedkar fraudulently exceeded the permissible number of attempts by manipulating her identity. This deception included altering her name, her parents' names, her photograph and signature, as well as changing her email ID, mobile number, and address.
“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 & mother's name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address,” the UPSC said in a release.
Read: 'When IAS officer Puja Khedkar's mother was set to pull gun trigger…': What Pune Police told court
How the controversy started
Puja Khedkar came under intense media glare over her alleged demands for a separate cabin and staff during her posting in Pune and her abrupt transfer to Washim district. She was later accused of forging a non-creamy layer Other Backward Classes certificate, using fake addresses and falsified spellings to procure a disability certificate, and faking her age and date of birth to appear for the UPSC examination more times than is permitted.
Earlier this week, the Maharashtra government initiated a probe against Khedkar following a letter from the UPSC dated July 12. The Commission directed the state government to examine her caste and disability certificates. The UPSC also sought papers pertaining to the alleged divorce of Puja Khedkar’s parents, after the trainee IAS officer claimed she was not aware of her father’s income before seeking benefits under the OBC quota.