In twin disciplinary measures, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has launched criminal prosecution of a controversial probationary IAS officer Puja Manorama Diliprao Khedkar and also issued a show-cause notice to her for cancellation of her candidature from Civil Services Examination-2022/debarment from future examinations/selections”.
In a statement issued on Friday, the UPSC said it had conducted detailed investigations against Puja Khedkar for her alleged “misdemeanour”. “From the investigation, it has been revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permission limit under examination rules by way of changing her name and the names of her father and mother, her photograph, her email id, mobile number and address,” the UPSC said. The UPSC said it had initiated a series of actions against her, including a criminal prosecution by filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the police, and served her a show cause notice.
The UPSC said “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”. “Te UPSC has ensured the sanctity and integrity of all its examination processes with the utmost fairness and strict observance of rules,” the statement said.
“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 ensure that such a high order of trust and credibility remains intact and uncompromised,” the statement added. It may recalled that on July 16, their daughter and probationary IAS officer Dr Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar — who is under scanner for alleged misuse of power and privileges — was ordered to return to her alma mater Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie.
Acting on a letter received from the LBSNAA which recalled Puja “for further action”, the Maharashtra government kept her District Training Program on hold and relieved her from the District Training Programme of the Maharashtra government and directed her to join the Academy on or before July 23.
Puja’s recall to LBSNAA came in the wake of her transfer to Washim from Pune, amid allegations of manipulation of disability and OBC certificates for getting into the civil services. The authenticity of various certificates submitted by her to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is being probed.
Having completed MBBS, Puja appeared for the Civil Services Examination in 2021 and cleared the preliminary exam, main exam and interview, securing the 821st rank. She had refused a medical test at the All India Institute of Medical Science in Delhi to confirm her disability claim of suffering from “blindness and mental illness” , an illness that gave her the benefits under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities category.
Puja had earlier submitted two certificates, provided by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital in 2018 and 2021, to the UPSC under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category. It has now emerged that she had applied for a disability certificate from the Aundh government hospital in Pune in August 2022, but after medical tests, her application was rejected.
Puja, who was initially posted as an assistant collector, hit headlines for wrong reasons following her alleged demand for a separate office and official car and unauthorised use of a beacon in her private life. So much so that Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase also sent a report to the state government about her and her father’s “objectionable behaviour”. Puja was later transferred to Washim in eastern Maharashtras as Supernumerary Assistant Collector.
