Delhi Police lodges case against trainee IAS Puja Khedkar for alleged Forgery and Cheating with UPSC

The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has initiated legal proceedings against probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, following allegations of document forgery and cheating in her dealings with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Time of India reported.

Authorities confirmed that charges have been filed under several sections related to forgery, cheating, the Information Technology Act, and the Disabilities Act.

According to police officials familiar with the investigation, the UPSC lodged a formal complaint stating that Khedkar falsely obtained attempts in the Civil Services Examination beyond the limit allowed by examination rules.

She allegedly altered key personal information, including her name, parents' names, photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and residential address.

In a statement released on Friday, the UPSC announced that it had issued a Show Cause Notice (SCN) to Khedkar, recommending the cancellation of her candidature for the Civil Services Exam of 2022, as well as debarment from future examinations. 

"The Union Public Service Commission has conducted a detailed and thorough investigation regarding the misconduct of Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination - 2022," the UPSC declared.

The commission further detailed the actions it has taken, which include the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) with law enforcement and the issuance of a show cause notice.

Additionally, on July 18, the General Administrative Department (GAD) of the Maharashtra government, under the leadership of additional chief secretary Nitin Gadre, submitted its findings regarding the allegations against Khedkar to the Union government's Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

The report has been forwarded to a one-member committee led by Assistant Secretary Manoj Diwedi for further investigation.