Puja Khedkar's Disability Certificate 'Fake': Delhi Police To High Court

New Delhi: Trouble continues to mount for IAS probationer Puja Khedkar as Republic Media Network on Wednesday accessed a report submitted by the Delhi Police where it stated categorically that the disability certificate that was given by Khedkar was forged. This comes as the anticipatory bail hearing in the case of Pooja Khedkar will be heard in the Delhi High Court on September 5. 

Khedkar has been allegedly booked by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for misusing the disability and Other Backward Class (non-creamy layer) quotas to secure her candidature in the civil services exam, PTI reported. 

It is also to be noted that the  Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) advocated that Pooja Khedkar should be arrested for her misdeeds, which is also necessary as it would unravel more people who are involved in this racket of getting entry into UPSC through forged documents. 

The Delhi Police sent a notice to Puja to join the probe early in a case of cheating and forgery registered against her last week, official sources said. 

Since then officials have been gathering documents and other evidence for the case.

The UPSC has filed a police case against Khedkar for allegedly fraudulently availing the civil services examination by faking her identity to take the civil exam beyond the permissible number of attempts allocated. 

According to a source, a dedicated team led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) level of the Crime Branch was tasked to collect the documents from various government departments.

A case under sections 420 (cheating), 464 (making a document in the name of a fictitious person), 465 (forgery) and 471 (passing off a forged document as genuine) of IPC and under sections 89 and 91 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and 66D of the Information Technology Act has been registered against Khedkar.

The 2023-batch IAS officer, was a probationary assistant collector at the Pune district collectorate but was transferred to Washim from Pune earlier this month amid allegations that she misrepresented herself under the physical disabilities category. During her duty in Pune, Puja allegedly misused power and privileges by demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled to. 

(Inputs from PTI)