Centre discharges Puja Khedkar from IAS

The Centre discharged her just weeks after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Wednesday cancelled the provisional candidature of  trainee IAS officer.

The UPSC also barred her from participating in all commission-conducted examinations.

"The UPSC carefully considered the request of Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar and in order to meet the ends of justice, she was granted time till 3:30 pm of 30th July, 2024 so as to enable her to submit the response to the SCN. It was also categorically made clear to Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar that it was last and final opportunity to her and no further extension in time would be allowed. It was also conveyed to her in unequivocal terms that if no response was received by the aforesaid date/time, the UPSC would take further action without entertaining any further reference from her. Despite extension in time allowed to her, she failed to submit her explanation within the prescribed time," the UPSC had said in a statement.

Khedkar is accused of misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (non-creamy layer) quotas to secure a seat in the prestigious examination.

Questions were raised about her appointment in the civil services after a Pune RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar alleged that she did not fall under the OBC non-creamy layer as her father had assets worth Rs. 40 crore.

"As per the rules, only those come under the OBC non-creamy layer category whose parents are under 8 lac per annum of income, but their income shows that it is 40 crore. Her parents contested the recent Lok Sabha polls and all the property details are there in the affidavit," he said.

The falsified statements and allowances gained allowed Khedkar to pass the uber-competitive Civil Services Exam despite scoring a relatively low all-India rank of 841.

Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim after her 'exploits' - including the use of a siren on her private vehicle, an Audi luxury sedan - came to light.