The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced on Thursday that it has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against IAS probationer Puja Khedkar for allegedly “faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts beyond permissible limits.”
In addition to the FIR, the Commission has issued a notice for the cancellation of her selection and potential debarment from future examinations.
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Puja Khedkar, 32, who began her probationary training at the Pune Collectorate in June 2024, faces serious accusations of misusing the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons With Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) quotas to pass the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
Earlier this week, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) halted her “district training programme” and summoned her back to the academy from Washim, where she had been continuing her training following a transfer from Pune.
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A report by Suhas Diwase, Pune’s Collector, highlighted Khedkar’s unsuitable demands for privileged treatment, sparking the current controversy that now jeopardizes her career and has led to criminal prosecution. Additionally, her parents are also facing charges related to an unrelated incident from June 2023.
UPSC stated it had conducted a thorough investigation revealing that Puja Khedkar had violated the rules.
“The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has conducted a detailed and thorough investigation into the misdemeanour of Ms Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination-2022. From this investigation, it has been revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father’s & mother’s name, her photograph/signature, her email ID, mobile number, and address,” said UPSC in a press statement.
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“The UPSC has, therefore, initiated a series of actions against her, including Criminal Prosecution by filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the Police Authorities and has issued a Show Cause Notice (SCN) 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,” the statement continued.
The Commission emphasized its commitment to upholding the highest standards of due diligence, ensuring the sanctity and integrity of its examination processes with utmost fairness and strict adherence to the rules.
In light of the investigation, the UPSC has issued a notice to cancel the selection of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is accused of lying about visual and mental disabilities and faking her identity, including changing the names of her parents, to clear the Civil Services entrance exam.
A notification issued on Friday afternoon stated that Puja Khedkar “fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit,” prompting the UPSC to “initiate a series of actions against” the 23-year-old. These actions include filing a police case for criminal prosecution and issuing a show-cause notice demanding an explanation for why her candidature should not be canceled. Further action will depend on Ms. Khedkar’s response.
