IAS probationer Puja Khedkar booked for forgery on UPSC complaint

New Delhi, July 19

In the first crackdown on fraud in civil services examination processes, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday initiated criminal proceedings against controversial IAS probationer Puja Khedkar whom the Delhi Police then booked for forgery.

The UPSC — in a statement — flagged a litany of fakery at the hands of Khedkar, who was being investigated for forging non-creamy OBC layer and disability certificates to seek entry into the civil services.

The UPSC’s investigation showed Khedkar even faked her own identity to avail multiple attempts when she was not eligible to do so.

“From our investigation, it has been revealed that Puja Khedkar fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the examination rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father’s and mother’s name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address, the note said,” said the UPSC.

The UPSC said it had initiated a series of actions against her, including criminal prosecution by filing a first information report (FIR) with the police and has issued a show-cause notice for cancellation of her candidature of the Civil Services Examination-2022/ debarment from future examinations/selections, in accordance with the Rules of the Civil Services Examination-2022.

A 2023-batch IAS probationer, Khedkar is accused of misusing power and privileges, and demanding facilities she was not entitled to during her training in Pune District Collectorate in Maharashtra.

She used a red-blue beacon on a private vehicle, leading to inquiry into her conduct following which she was shifted to Washim. “It is categorically stated that in fulfilling its Constitutional obligations, the UPSC stringently adheres to its Constitutional mandate, and conducts all its processes, including all examinations, with the highest possible order of due diligence without any compromise.

The UPSC has ensured the sanctity and integrity of all its examination processes with the utmost fairness and strict observance of rules,” the commission today said starting the process of termination of Khedkar from services where she was still a probationer.

Following the UPSC complaint, Delhi Police crime branch registered a case for forgery.