UPSC initiates action against civil services candidate Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar

New Delhi, July 19: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has launched a series of actions against Ms Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate for the Civil Services Examination 2022, following a detailed investigation into her misconduct.

The investigation revealed that Khedkar fraudulently exceeded the permissible number of attempts under the Examination Rules by altering her identity. This included changes to her name, her parents’ names, her photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and address.

In response to these findings, the UPSC has initiated criminal prosecution by filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the police. They have also issued a Show Cause Notice (SCN) to Khedkar, seeking to cancel her candidature for the Civil Services Examination-2022 and potentially bar her from future examinations and selections, in line with the Rules of the Civil Services Examination-2022.

The UPSC emphasized its commitment to upholding its Constitutional obligations and conducting all processes, including examinations, with the highest level of due diligence and fairness. The Commission assured that it maintains the integrity and sanctity of its examination processes and has earned the trust and credibility of the public and candidates alike.

Additional charges filed by the Delhi Police against Khedkar include forgery under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and the IT Act. The UPSC has requested an explanation from Khedkar regarding why her candidature should not be canceled. Further actions will be determined based on her response, which could include barring her from future entrance exams.

The Maharashtra government submitted a report to the Department of Personnel and Training, which played a crucial role in the UPSC's actions. This report included documents testing Khedkar’s claims of physical disability and OBC (Other Backward Class) status. It also mentioned allegations of her abusing power during her first posting. Khedkar was initially sent to Pune as an Assistant Collector and later transferred to Washim, amid reports of her securing perks such as a siren on her private car, which are not available to probationary staff.

Further allegations surfaced that Khedkar used fake disability certificates to qualify for the IAS, despite securing a modest all-India rank of 841 in the entrance test. Reports detailed her attempts to secure these certificates, including being turned down by a hospital in Pune before succeeding at another in Pipri, which diagnosed her with an "old ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear with left knee instability".

Earlier this week, Khedkar was recalled from Washim to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. On Wednesday, Khedkar accused the Pune Collector, Suhas Divase, of harassment, filing a complaint late at night at her home in Washim. Divase denied the charges, and his office released a report with screenshots of WhatsApp chats between Khedkar and an unidentified official, where she sought details about perks not available to probationary staff. Khedkar has also accused the press of conducting a "media trial".

Meanwhile, her parents are also facing legal troubles. Her mother, Manorama Khedkar, has been charged with attempted murder after a video of her waving a gun at a man went viral. She is currently in police custody. Her father, Dilip Khedkar, faces a probe by Pune's Anti-Corruption Bureau following a complaint about his disproportionate assets. A retired state government officer, he had been suspended twice on corruption charges during his career and is currently on the run.