New Delhi: Controversial IAS probationer Puja Khedkar may be sacked from her service if she is found guilty of hiding facts about her OBC certificate and disability claim, sources said. “She may be dismissed if found guilty. Criminal charges may also be framed if allegations of hiding facts and misrepresentation are found to be true,” sources said. On Thursday, the Central Government constituted a single-member committee, chaired by a senior officer of the rank of additional secretary to the Government of India to verify the candidature claim and other details of Puja Khedkar.
Khedkar is an IAS officer of the 2023 batch. The committee chaired by Manoj Dwivedi will submit the report in two weeks. The controversy started after she was found using a red-blue beacon and a board of Maharashtra government on her private Audi car and raising demands for unauthorised perks at her office, a privilege not available to junior officers. Khedkar is currently on a 24-month probationary period.
The 34-year-old Khedkar faces more serious charges that raise questions about her selection process in the Civil Services. She had also claimed disability to avail of reservation in the UPSC selection process, but refused to undergo mandatory medical tests. Controversy also arose over her claim of Other Backward Classes (OBC) status.
In her affidavit to the UPSC, Khedkar claimed that she was visually impaired and mentally ill. The IAS probationer Khedkar, who was posted as an assistant collector in Pune, was transferred to Washim after the Pune Collector raised a complaint with the Maharashtra chief secretary. Khedkar secured an all-India rank of 841 in the Civil Service examination in 2023.
