Puja Khedkar Row: Centre's Panel Submits Report On Controversial IAS Officer

A team will now examine the findings and recommend action, according to The Times of India report.

Puja Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer, is accused of misusing power and privileges by demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled to while serving on probation in Pune.

A criminal case was registered against her in Delhi last week for allegedly “misrepresenting and falsifying facts”. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has also issued a show-cause notice regarding the cancellation of her candidature for the 2022 examination and is considering barring her from future exams.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has also issued a show-cause notice regarding the cancellation of her candidature for the 2022 examination and is considering barring her from future exams.

In order to avail of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer quota in the UPSC examination, Khedkar reportedly claimed that her parents were separated and she was living with her mother.

During a mock interview reportedly before she cracked UPSC, Khedkar was asked why her family income was shown as 'zero' when her father was a civil servant.

In a video of the interview that went viral, she is heard saying that her parents were separated, and she was not in contact with him.

As per the rules, only those candidates whose parents' income is under Rs 8 lakh per annum can take benefit of the OBC non-creamy layer category.

Khedkar's father Dilip Khedkar is a former Maharashtra government officer, who is now facing a corruption case and has been suspended twice in the past over related charges, including extortion.

Puja Khedkar's mother Manorama Khedkar, a sarpanch, is also in trouble after a video showed her brandishing a gun and threatening a group of people. She has been arrested in an Arms Act case.