Puja Khedkar submitted 2 disability certificates, suspect fraud: Delhi Police in HC

Mumbai/New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) In another status report submitted to the High Court in the national capital, the Delhi Police have contended that former controversial Maharashtra IAS Probationary Officer Puja M.D. Khedkar has submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exams, official sources said here on Wednesday.

The disability certificates of 2018 and 2021, citing ‘multiple disability’ were purportedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital, for her UPSC attempts made in 2022 and 2023.

However, as per the Delhi Police’s latest status report, the Ahmednagar District Civil Authority has denied that the certificate claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ was issued to her by them.

“Disability Certificate (Multiple Disability) vide No. MH2610119900342407 has not been issued by the Issuing Medical Authority, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra as per our Civil Surgeon Office Records, hence the possibility of Disability Certificate forged and fabricated is more likely,” said the Delhi Police.

Khedkar had claimed that she was suffering from a host of physical and mental illnesses and allegedly secured benefits under the relevant quotas to boost her chances of clearing the Civil Services Examinations-2022.

After Khedkar passed her CSE-2022, she was assigned to the 2023 Maharashtra cadre and posted as an IAS-PO at Pune, where she had a tumultuous incomplete tenure and was shunted to Washim.

As startling revelations tumbled out in quick succession, on July 31, the UPSC struck her name off the IAS list, barred her permanently from appearing for its future exams, and lodged a police complaint against her -- all of which Khedkar has challenged.

Prior to that, on July 19, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy for Administration (LBSNAA), cancelled Khedkar’s field training (in Pune and Washim) and ordered her to report back to them by July 23, but she failed to do so.

Presently, Khedkar faces multiple probes and inquiries in Maharashtra and the Centre for her various alleged acts of omission and commission. She has remained mostly incommunicado for the past several months, even as her parents are also involved in different cases in the state.