UPSC files forgery case against Puja Khedkar
NEW DELHI: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has uncovered a significant fraud perpetrated by Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate for the Civil Services Examination 2022. A detailed investigation revealed that Khedkar had exceeded the permissible attempt limit by falsifying her identity, including changing her name, her parents’ names, photograph and signature, email ID, mobile number, and address.
The investigation began when irregularities were detected in Khedkar’s application. Her case was flagged during routine checks, prompting a more thorough examination of her submitted documents and personal information. The UPSC’s meticulous verification revealed that Khedkar had fraudulently altered her identity to appear as a different candidate in subsequent attempts, thereby circumventing the rules limiting the number of permissible attempts for the Civil Services Examination.
In addition to the identity fraud, Puja Khedkar’s case involved multiple other allegations. She reportedly abused her power during her first posting as an assistant collector in Pune before being transferred to Washim. Allegations surfaced that she had secured perks, such as a siren on her private car, not available to on-probation staff. Furthermore, she was accused of using fake disability certificates to qualify for the IAS despite a modest all-India rank of 841 on the entrance test. Investigations revealed that she first approached a hospital in Pune, which turned her down, before obtaining a fake certificate from a hospital in Pipri, which diagnosed her with an “old ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear with left knee instability.”.
In light of these findings, the UPSC has taken decisive action against Khedkar. These include filing charges with the Delhi Police for forgery under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and IT Act. The UPSC has also sent a show-cause notice asking Khedkar why her candidature should not be cancelled, with further action dependent on her reply.
Khedkar, who has remained largely silent since the scandal broke, has accused the Pune Collector, Suhas Divase, of harassment, filing a complaint late at night from her home in Washim, and summoning three female police officers to her residence. However, Divase has denied all charges and stated that he has not yet received a copy of the complaint. His office had previously released a report with screenshots of Khedkar’s WhatsApp chats with an unidentified official, in which she sought details about perks not available to probationary staff.
Further compounding her situation, Puja Khedkar’s father, Dilip Khedkar, faces a probe by Pune’s Anti-Corruption Bureau following a complaint that his assets were disproportionate to his income. A retired state government officer, he had been suspended twice on corruption charges during his career and is currently on the run.
