Puja Khedkar, sacked IAS trainee has reportedly fled to Dubai after rejection of anticipatory bail application. Reports claim that Puja Khedkar, accused of posing as an OBC Candidate with disability claiming her UPSC seat as an IAS officer has reportedly fled to Dubai to evade her arrest. Her anticipatory bail application was rejected earlier.
Puja Khedkar who secured an All India rank of 821 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams came into lime light after news went viral about her misbehavior and excessive use of power during probation period. Her father was part of the story when she forcefully occupied office of a senior IAS officer on leave. Allegations started surfacing regarding her fake caste certificates and reports declaring her to be medically disabled. She was facing serious allegation of cheating and wrongfully grabbing the benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota.
Her services are terminated according to Rule 12 of the IAS (probation) Rules 1954 which states that, the probationer shall be liable to be discharged from service “if the Central Government is satisfied that the probationer was ineligible for recruitment to the Service or is unsuitable for being a member of the Service.”
Her demands for a separate lavish office, an official luxury car with a use of beacon on her private car; during probation period caught more attention of the media. Complaints started pouring in with the authorities and she was transferred from Pune to Washim. She’s accused of misrepresenting information in her application for the UPSC examination 2022, to avail reservation benefits. She is also accused of procuring and using several medical reports and disability certificates from various hospitals. For examinations conducted in the year 2022 and 2023, she submitted two different documents.
On 31st July, Puja Khedkar’s candidature was cancelled by the Union Public Service Commission for the fraud she committed against the UPSC and the public. She denied all allegations. Police demanded her custody for thorough interrogation to expose the entire conspiracy which involves her parents. Her father, Dilip Khedkar, a former civil servant was twice suspended by the Maharashtra government over charges of bribery and corruption. He is also being probed for amassing wealth in excess to his income. Other criminal cases like wielding a gun and threatening farmers in a land dispute case are pending against him.
While the Delhi High Court was hearing her anticipatory bail application puja Khedkar through her counsel stated before the court that she is ready to get herself medically examined in the AIIMS. Delhi police claimed that one of her disability certificates may be ‘forged’ and ‘fabricated’.
Offenders of similar nature continue to loot government coffers in Maharashtra due to inaction of corrupt officials
Maharashtra government’s education department tops the list of such cases where ineligible candidates have fraudulently occupied positions or ‘unfit’ candidates submitted ‘forged’ and ‘fabricated’ ‘Medical Fitness Certificates’ and keep on looting the government coffers. RTI activists and social reformists keep on filing complaints with documentary proofs but the nexus of these high ranking officials in the university, education department is so strong that they manage to curb legal action at all levels. Such white collar criminals take advantage of the overburdened condition of high courts due to which they are confident that cases against them would not be decided in near future hence without any fear or hesitation they write to the complainant, “if you are not satisfied with the decision taken on your complaint you may approach the court of law”. Such corrupt, anti-national elements enjoy the status of matters that are subjudice. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Higher & Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Vikas Chandra Rastogi, Principal Secretary for Higher and Technical Education in Maharashtra need to investigate such issues to save tax payer’s money draining at the hands of white collar criminals. Several such complaints are also lying at the Governor office awaiting legal action.