The Centre has discharged Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) annulled her selection in one of the most prestigious branches of government service.
Khedkar was found guilty of cheating and improperly benefiting from Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quotas. The UPSC also barred her from future entrance exams for life due to her fraudulent activities, including falsifying her identity to take the exam multiple times.
Following the controversy, the UPSC reviewed data for over 15,000 candidates who passed the IAS screening process between 2009 and 2023. They confirmed that, aside from Khedkar, no other candidates had exceeded the number of attempts allowed under Civil Services Examination (CSE) Rules.
The issues began in June when Pune Collector Suhas Diwase reported Khedkar's inappropriate demands for perks during her probation period. Khedkar was subsequently transferred to Washim. During the investigation, it was revealed that she had incorrectly utilized relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities.
It was discovered that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, owned assets worth Rs 40 crore, disqualifying her from the OBC non-creamy layer benefits. Additionally, she had not completed a required health check-up to confirm her disability exemption.
Further scrutiny revealed a video of her mother, Manorama Khedkar, threatening people with a gun, leading to her arrest. Her father, Dilip Khedkar, is now under investigation for possessing assets disproportionate to his declared income.
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