Puja Khedkar Controversy: Did IAS Officer Exceed UPSC Attempt Limits by Changing Names?

Puja Khedkar Controversy: Controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar claims that media trials are unjust, but new allegations about her using different names to take the UPSC exam have added to her troubles.

Puja Khedkar Controversy: Troubles for controversial IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar continue to mount as new revelations come to light, leading to her district training program in Maharashtra being put on hold.

Last week, Khedkar was transferred to Washim district in Vidarbha after Pune district collector Suhas Divase requested her transfer to avoid administrative conflicts. However, on July 16, a letter from Nitin Gadre, Additional Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, stated that the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy had decided to put Khedkar’s district training program on hold and immediately recalled her for further necessary action.

The government has also constituted a single-member committee to investigate her claims and the allegations against her.

Initially, Khedkar refused to comment on the controversy. However, on Monday, she stated that she would accept the committee’s decision.

The trainee officer emphasized that the Constitution upholds the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty,’ adding, ‘Proving me guilty through a media trial is wrong.’

However, new allegations have surfaced, claiming that the officer used different names and manipulated her age to take the UPSC exam.

Here’s a Look at the Puja Khedkar Controversy:

Use of Red-Blue Beacon

Puja Khedkar, who was posted as an assistant collector in Pune, was availing herself of facilities to which trainee officers are not entitled. The Audi car driven by Puja, registered in the name of a private company, was using a red-blue beacon. Additionally, the officer had installed a ‘Maharashtra Government’ board on the private car. Photos of the vehicle went viral, bringing her into the limelight. The car also has 21 pending challans and fines totaling ₹26,000.

Police Report Violation of Traffic Rules

Police have stated that using beacons on private cars is a violation of traffic rules.

Fake Certificate Accusations

Puja Khedkar, a 2003-batch IAS officer, is accused of using fraudulent means to clear exams. Allegations suggest she misrepresented herself under the physical disabilities and Other Backward Class (OBC) categories.

The IAS trainee reportedly submitted several medical certificates to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), including one indicating visual impairment under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) provision. However, Khedkar had submitted a fitness certificate when securing admission to a private medical college in 2007.

Dr. Arvind Bhore, director of the Kashibai Navale Medical College in Pune, told ABP Majha that the medical fitness certificate submitted by Puja Khedkar did not mention any disability, physical or mental, when she joined the college in 2007.

Misusing Office

Puja Khedkar is also accused of misusing her office while being posted in Pune. She allegedly occupied the ante-chamber of Additional Collector Ajay More without permission. She is also accused of removing office furniture and requesting unauthorized facilities. In a WhatsApp chat with the collector’s office, she had demanded a cabin and staff even before joining, to ‘plan things accordingly’.

Reports indicate that her father, Dilip Khedkar, a former Maharashtra government employee who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections on the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi ticket, had exerted pressure on the District Collector’s office to fulfill his daughter’s demands.

Putting Pressure on a Cop

In May, Puja Khedkar allegedly tried to pressure a DCP-ranked officer to release a man held in a theft case at Panvel police station. The Navi Mumbai police have reported the incident to the Maharashtra government. However, since it was not confirmed if Khedkar herself had called, even though she had identified herself during the phone call, the accused was not released.

Mother’s Viral Video

Amid the controversies surrounding Puja Khedkar, an old video of her mother, Manorama Khedkar, has also gone viral. In the video, Manorama is seen brandishing a gun while arguing with a farmer over a land dispute. When the police visited their residence in Pune, she reportedly refused to let them inside and threatened them. The police have now launched a manhunt for Puja Khedkar’s parents.

Did Puja Khedkar Appear 11 Times for the Exam?

As the investigation into the allegations against her continues, reports have surfaced about discrepancies in Puja Khedkar’s name and age on her Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) application. A report by the Marathi newspaper Sakal has raised questions about whether she exceeded the allowed number of attempts for the exam. According to the rules, general category candidates can appear a maximum of six times, while OBC and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates can appear nine times. The report states that up until 2020-21, Puja Khedkar took the exam under the name Puja Diliprao Khedkar. However, in 2021-22, after exhausting her attempts, she reportedly made two more attempts using the name Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar.

According to Times Now, documents indicate that in 2020 her age was stated as 30, but in 2023, it was listed as 31.

RTI Activist’s Statement

Vijay Kumbhar, a Pune-based RTI activist who raised questions about Khedkar’s appointment, said on July 15 that Puja Khedkar’s disability certificate was rejected at the District Civil Hospital in Aundh, Pune. Despite having multiple disability certificates, she sought one for a locomotor disability.

In a post on X, Kumbhar claimed that Khedkar has a ration card registered to a private limited company’s address. He stated, “A ration card is not proof of residence. She applied for disability certificates at YCM Hospital and District Hospital, Aundh, using two different addresses. The car she used as an IAS officer belongs to Thermoverita Company. She applied on 23/08/2022 at Aundh Hospital and received it the next day from YCM.”