Puja Khedkar, a former IAS trainee officer whose candidacy was revoked earlier this year, has filed a legal challenge against her disqualification, asserting that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) lacks the authority to act against her. The UPSC had permanently barred Khedkar from all future exams in July, following accusations of power misuse and forgery.
Khedkar has responded to the UPSC’s decision by filing a petition with the Delhi High Court. In her plea, she argued that once an individual is selected and appointed as a probationer, the UPSC no longer holds the power to disqualify them. “Only the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) can take action under the All India Services Act, 1954, and the Probationer Rules, as per Rule 19 of the Civil Services Exam (CSE) 2022 Rules,” Khedkar stated in her petition.
The UPSC’s decision to cancel her candidacy came after an investigation revealed that Khedkar had violated CSE 2022 rules, including allegations of “faking her identity.” Additionally, a criminal case was initiated against her for charges of cheating, fraud, and forgery.
In her court submission, Khedkar claimed that she had not manipulated or misrepresented her identity to the UPSC. “There has been no change in the applicant’s first name and surname from 2012 to 2022, as consistently reflected in all Detailed Application Forms (DAFs),” her response read. She further argued that the UPSC had verified her identity using biometric data collected during personality tests in 2019, 2021, and 2022, and all related documents were thoroughly reviewed during the 2022 personality test.
Khedkar, who had previously appeared for the civil services examination under the OBC quota as ‘Puja Diliprao Khedkar,’ used the name ‘Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar’ in her 2021-22 attempt, after exhausting her previous attempts. In this attempt, she applied under both the OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) quotas and secured a rank of 821. However, in July, the UPSC took action against her for allegedly exceeding the permissible number of exam attempts by falsifying her identity, which included altering her name, parental details, photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and address. An official UPSC statement emphasized that a comprehensive investigation into Khedkar’s misconduct had revealed her fraudulent activities. The statement highlighted that Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer from the 2023 batch, was accused of misusing her power and privileges during her training at the Pune District Collectorate in Maharashtra, demanding perks and facilities to which she was not entitled. Khedkar’s legal challenge now awaits the Delhi High Court’s decision, as the case continues to unfold.
