Centre Dismisses IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Over False Identity Claims

New Delhi: The Central Government on Saturday dismissed Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, following a month-long investigation into allegations of her faking identity and misusing benefits meant for the OBC and disability quotas.

The decision came after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled Khedkar’s selection in government service and barred her for life from appearing in the UPSC entrance exam. She was found guilty of submitting false documents to avail relaxed criteria under both the OBC and disability quotas, including multiple attempts to take the exam under different identities.

In a recent status report submitted to the Delhi High Court, the Delhi Police disclosed that Khedkar, a Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer, had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC attempts in 2022 and 2023. These certificates, dated 2018 and 2021, claimed “multiple disabilities” and were allegedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital. However, the hospital authorities denied issuing the documents, casting doubt on their authenticity.

Khedkar’s troubles began in June 2024 when Pune Collector Suhas Diwase wrote to Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, raising concerns about her improper demands for perks such as a car, staff, and an office, which were not entitled to probationary IAS officers. This triggered an investigation into her selection process, during which her misuse of quota benefits came to light.

It was discovered that Khedkar had availed of OBC benefits despite her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, owning property worth Rs 40 crore—well beyond the threshold for the non-creamy layer OBC quota. She was also found to have falsely claimed disability benefits during her UPSC attempts.

In a related incident, a video surfaced showing Khedkar’s mother, Manorama Khedkar, who is a sarpanch, brandishing a gun to threaten local farmers. The video went viral, and Manorama was subsequently arrested.