IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Discharged Amid Allegations of Misconduct

The central government has discharged IAS officer Puja Khedkar from service over allegations of cheating and misusing OBC and disability quotas. Khedkar denies the charges. An investigation led to her dismissal and debarring from future exams, while a criminal case against her is ongoing in Delhi.

The central government has swiftly acted to discharge Puja Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), following a month after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) revoked her selection. Official sources confirmed the action on Saturday.

Puja Khedkar, a 2023 batch IAS officer, faced accusations of cheating and improperly utilizing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota privileges to secure her position. In a vehement denial, Khedkar refuted all allegations.

The government order, dated September 6, 2024, cited Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, as the basis for Khedkar's immediate discharge. Under these rules, the central government can discharge a probationer deemed ineligible or unsuitable for the service.

Khedkar, provisionally assigned to the Maharashtra cadre, faced accusations of power abuse during her training in Pune. A criminal case filed by Delhi Police in July accused her of misrepresenting facts, following a thorough UPSC investigation.

UPSC discovered that Khedkar manipulated her identity for multiple attempts at the civil services exam, beyond allowable limits. Consequently, her 2022 exam results were annulled, and she was barred from future exams on July 31.

The multi-stage civil services exam, conducted annually by UPSC, includes preliminary, main, and interview phases, selecting top officials for IAS, IFS, IPS, and more.

Amid ongoing legal challenges, Khedkar offered to undergo a medical examination at AIIMS, following police claims of potentially forged disability certificates. Her anticipatory bail plea remains under consideration by the Delhi High Court.

The continuing Delhi Police probe, initiated from a UPSC complaint, casts uncertainty over Khedkar's future with ongoing scrutiny into alleged misconduct.

(With inputs from agencies.)