New Delhi: The Delhi Police, through a fresh status report, has informed the Delhi High Court that former trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar had submitted two disability certificates, with the suspicion that one of them might be forged.
The report states that during further investigation, on scrutiny of documents provided by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), it was found that Khedkar had submitted two disability certificates issued by the Medical Authority of Ahmednagar in Maharashtra in her application for the Civil Services Examinations 2022 and 2023 respectively.
The said Disability Certificates were submitted by the applicant during Civil Services Examinations - 2022 and 2023 respectively. After verification of the certificate, the Issuing Medical Authority, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra reported as under:
"Disability Certificate (Multiple Disability) vide No. MH2610119900342407 has not been issued by the Issuing Medical Authority, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra as per our Civil Surgeon Office Records, hence the possibility of Disability Certificate forged and fabricated is more likely," the issuing authority said.
In the previous hearing, the Delhi High Court extended interim protection from arrest for Khedkar as the police wanted to file a fresh status report.
In her recent reply, Khedkar, who faces accusations of cheating and improperly availing OBC and disability quota benefits, stated that the UPSC did not have the authority to disqualify her.
Earlier, the court had issued notices to the Delhi Police and UPSC on the anticipatory bail plea of Khedkar. The court had also instructed the investigation agency not to take any action against her while the matter was under consideration, noting that immediate arrest was not necessary.
UPSC had argued that Puja Khedkar was the "mastermind" and that her actions would not have been possible without the assistance of others, in support of a custodial interrogation.
Last week, Delhi's Patiala House Court rejected her anticipatory bail plea observing the allegations of forgery of identity documents to get extra attempts in the civil services examination are serious and need thorough investigation.
