UPSC files FIR against IAS-PO Puja Khedkar, may cancel her candidature

In a major development, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said on Friday, 19 July, that it has initiated criminal proceedings against Maharashtra cadre (2023) IAS probationary officer Puja Khedkar for a series of irregularities perpetrated by her.

The UPSC said in a statement that it has also served Khedkar with a show-cause notice for “cancellation of her candidature of the Civil Services Examination (CSE)-2022/debarment from future examinations/selections”, in accordance with the rules of the CSE-2022.

The statutory body said that it conducted a detailed investigation into the misdemeanour by Khedkar, whom it described as “a provisionally recommended candidate” for the CSE-2022.

“The investigation has revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits under the examination rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her parents' names, her photograph/signature, her email ID, mobile number and address,” the UPSC said.

Accordingly, the UPSC has initiated a series of actions against her, including criminal proceedings by filing an FIR with the police, besides serving her a show-cause notice.

The UPSC said that in fulfilling its constitutional obligations, it stringently adheres to its constitutional mandate, and conducts all its processes, including all examinations, with the highest possible order of due diligence without any compromise.

The UPSC reiterated that it has ensured the sanctity and integrity of all its examination processes with utmost fairness and strict observance of rules.

“The UPSC has deservedly earned the trust and credibility of a very high order from the public, especially the candidates. The UPSC is unequivocally committed to ensuring that such a high order of trust and credibility remains intact and uncompromised,” the statement said.

Following a series of exposes against her, Khedkar, currently appointed as assistant collector, Washim, was last week removed from her field assignment and ordered to report back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, ‘for further action’.

Meanwhile, the Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body on Friday sealed an engineering firm linked to the mother of controversial probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar over unpaid property tax amounting to nearly Rs 2 lakh, municipal officials said.

The junior bureaucrat's mother, Manorama Khedkar, is currently in the custody of Pune police in a criminal case.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in Pune district sealed the defunct firm -- Thermoverita India Pvt Ltd -- located in the Talawade area over unpaid property dues.

Notably, Puja Khedkar, while applying for a disability certificate at the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCM) in the Pimpri-Chinchwad township for selection into civil services under quota, had given the engineering firm's location as her residential address.

"The property tax for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 for Thermoverita India Pvt Ltd has been pending for the last two years. Additionally, the current year's outstanding is also pending. As their dues were unpaid in 2023, first they (owner) were issued notices and later as a graded response, we first snapped their water connection. Since, the dues are unpaid for the last two years, we as a next procedure, sealed the property," said PCMC commissioner Shekhar Singh.

The total outstanding for the last two years was Rs 1.96 lakh and if the current year's dues are added, the pending amount goes up to Rs 2.77 lakh, he said.

Manorama Khedkar was arrested on Thursday by the Pune rural police for allegedly threatening some persons with a gun over a land dispute at Dhadwali village in Mulshi tehsil in 2023.