Controversial IAS officer Puja Khedkar fired by Centre with immediate effect

New Delhi: Puja Khedkar was fired by the Centre on Saturday from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect. The sacking was made a month after her initial selection for government service was cancelled by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits. After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.

In a status report submitted to the Delhi High Court three days ago, Delhi Police had contended that Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exam, IANS reported.

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

However, as per Delhi Police’s status report, the hospital authorities had denied that the certificates claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ were issued to her by them.

Khedkar's troubles began in June when Pune Collector Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik flagging her demands for perks such as a car, staff and an office which she was not entitled to during her two-year probation period.

Amid the row, her selection for IAS came under scrutiny.

It was found that she availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities. It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and that she did not qualify for the non-creamy layer OBC quota.

Meanwhile, a video of her sarpanch mother Manorama Khedkar brandishing a gun to threaten farmers had also emerged. Manorama was later arrested.