Puja Khedkar Denies Fraud Allegations as Delhi Police Claims Forgery in Disability Certificates
New Delhi, 5th September 2024: In a significant development, the Delhi Police have alleged that the disability certificates submitted by IAS probationer Puja Khedkar may have been “forged and fabricated.” This claim was made in their second status report, which was presented to the Delhi High Court ahead of her scheduled anticipatory bail hearing.
According to the police, Khedkar had submitted two disability certificates during her UPSC civil services examinations in 2022 and 2023. These certificates were purportedly issued by a medical authority in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. However, after reviewing the certificates, the civil surgeon’s office in Ahmednagar reported that at least one of the certificates, which indicated multiple disabilities, was not issued by the designated authority.
“The certificates presented by Khedkar have raised serious concerns about their authenticity. Our investigation revealed discrepancies in the records held by the Ahmednagar civil surgeon’s office,” said a police official.
On August 29, the Delhi High Court had extended Khedkar’s interim protection from arrest until September 5, despite objections from both the Delhi Police and the UPSC. The UPSC argued that Khedkar’s custodial interrogation was necessary to fully understand the extent of the alleged fraud and the involvement of any accomplices.
The UPSC had previously canceled Khedkar’s candidature and barred her from future examinations, alleging that she committed fraud against the commission and the public.
In her response filed on Wednesday, Khedkar argued that following her selection and appointment, the UPSC did not have the authority to disqualify her, asserting that any such action should be taken by the Department of Personnel and Training of the Union Government.
Khedkar also refuted the allegations of fraud and document forgery in her four-page reply. She maintained that she had neither changed her first name and surname from 2012 to 2022 nor manipulated her name in any way during her dealings with the commission.
