In an affidavit filed with the Union Public Service Commission, Puja Khedkar, a Civil Service officer on probation, claimed to be mentally and visually impaired in order to receive accommodations during the selection process.
Six times, she had resisted going through with an obligatory medical examination to verify her impairments. If she did not want to take the exam, it is not evident how or why she was appointed.
The first test was supposed to take place in April 2022 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, according to unconfirmed reports. She ignored this, saying her COVID-19 test result was positive.
They also skipped two appointments in July and August, as well as two for the next month. In September, she attended a sixth class only partially; she did not show up for an MRI to determine the extent of her vision loss.
Following the Commission’s challenge to her selection, a tribunal decided against her in February 2023. She did, however, succeed in getting her civil service appointment verified.
Concerns have also been raised about Ms. Khedkar’s assertion of her OBC, or Other Backward Classes, status.
Despite receiving a relatively low all-India rank of 841, Ms. Khedkar was able to pass the extremely competitive Civil Services Exam thanks to the falsified statements and the allowances obtained from them. Ms Khedkar, who hails from Ahmednagar, is a 2023-batch IAS officer.
When word leaked out about Ms. Khedkar’s “exploits,” which included using a siren on her personal Audi luxury sedan, she was moved from Pune to Washington. Pune Collector Suhas Divase had written to the Maharashtra government’s Chief Secretary, asking for Puja Khedkar to be reassigned.
“The 2023 batch IAS officer will serve the remaining period of her probation as Supernumerary Assistant Collector in Washim district,” the decree read.
Other than having a ‘Government of Maharashtra’ sticker, VIP number plates, and a siren. While Ajay More, the Pune Additional Collector, was away, Ms. Khedkar was also observed using his office. It is said that she took down his nameplate, moved his furniture, and even insisted on letterheads.
None of these perks are available for junior officers, who are on probation for 24 months. Reports suggest her father, a retired administrative officer, had pushed for her demands to be fulfilled.
