A Delhi court has denied anticipatory bail to Puja Khedkar, the ex-trainee IAS officer who lied about disabilities and faked her identity – including changing parents’ names and forging a certificate claiming a ‘non-creamy layer’ OBC status – to pass the Civil Services entrance exam.
Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala also told the police to check if other IAS aspirants had lied to avail similar quotas. "Police are directed to find out if candidates recommended in recent past availed benefits beyond permissible age limit under OBC (Other Backward Classes) quota and PwD (Persons with benchmark Disabilities) benefits… despite not being entitled to it," he said.
Significantly, the cops were also told to check if she had inside help. "Police should find out if UPSC (the Union Public Service Commission, a central body that conducts the exam) officials helped her."
Ms Khedkar has not been arrested yet. She faces charges that include cheating and forgery.
The court had reserved its order Wednesday after hearing arguments from Ms Khedkar, who claimed an "imminent threat of arrest". The prosecution and counsel for the UPSC opposed the claim, noting, "This person has abused the law. Chances of her abusing the law are still there…"
Also on Wednesday the UPSC revoked her selection and debarred her from all future exams.
READ | UPSC Cancels Puja Khedkar’s Selection, Bans Her From Taking Exam Ever
The central body said Ms Khedkar had been served a notice for "fraudulently availing attempts, beyond the permissible limit provided for in the examination rules, by faking her identity".
READ | “Changed Her Name, Also Parents’ Names”: UPSC On How Puja Khedkar Cheated
Under current rules general category students have only six chances to pass the uber-competitive exam, while those from marginalised classes and communities get nine.
The fact that Ms Khedkar's father, Dilip Khedkar, a former Maharashtra government officer, has property worth Rs 40 crore, excludes her from claiming those three additional chances.
The UPSC said it had also reviewed data from 15,000 other candidates between 2009 and 2023 "with respect to number of attempts availed by them" and found no other violation of the rules.
Ms Khedkar's violations were exposed in June after it emerged she had secured perks beyond her pay grade, such as a siren and a 'Government of Maharashtra' sticker for her private vehicle.
Once those claims surfaced, they were followed by others that said she used a fake certificate – from a district hospital in Pipri that diagnosed her with an "old ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear with left knee instability" – to qualify for the IAS.
READ | “Someone Doubted…”: Doctor On Trainee Officer’s Disability Claim
That was despite a very modest all-India rank of 841 in the entrance test.
Initially posted as an Assistant Collector in Pune district, Puja Khedkar, who was from the 2023 batch was then transferred to Washim, and then recalled to the training institute in Uttarakhand's Mussoorie.
Last week a single-member panel submitted a report on Ms Khedkar to the centre.
READ | Panel Submits Report On Controversial IAS Officer Puja Khedkar
Meanwhile, Ms Khedkar's father and mother, Manorama Khedkar are also in trouble with the law. Mr Khedkar faces a corruption case of his own and his wife is in trouble after a video of her brandishing a gun and appearing to threaten farmers went viral online. She has been arrested in an Arms Act case.
Last month Ms Khedkar, largely silent since the row broke, except for saying government rules forbid her from commenting, counter-attacked by accusing Pune Collector Suhas Divase of harassment.
READ | Under-Fire Trainee IAS Officer Accuses Pune Collector Of Harassment
Mr Divase, whose report exposed Ms Khedkar, has denied the charges.
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