Former Maharashtra IAS trainee Pooja Khedkar's troubles are likely to deepen as Delhi Police has submitted another status report to the Delhi High Court on Wednesday. In its report, the Delhi Police has stated that her disability claims are fake. The report also claimed that Khedkar altered her name in the certificate.
The investigation by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police suggests that the disability certificate submitted by Pooja Khedkar might be fraudulent. The report states that Khedkar submitted two disability certificates (multiple disabilities) in 2022 and 2024, which were purportedly issued by the Medical Authority in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. However, upon verification, the Medical Authority denied issuing these certificates, stating that the disability certificates claimed by Pooja Khedkar were not issued by them.
Delhi HC extends Khedkar's interim protection from arrest
Last week, the Delhi High Court extended the interim protection from arrest for Khedkar. The extension is in effect until the next hearing date which is September 5, 2024. This comes as both the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Delhi Police sought dismissal of her plea for pre-arrest bail. In a rejoinder filed to the stand of the authorities, Khedkar has denied the allegations levelled against her and asserted that she has neither misrepresented nor cheated in the process of successfully clearing the Civil Services Examination-2022. She also said the UPSC has no power to disqualify her candidature.
Puja Khedkar fake certificate case
Puja Khedkar is facing allegations of cheating and improperly securing OBC and disability quota benefits in the UPSC examination. The UPSC earlier has said that Khedkar committed a fraud against the commission and the public, and her custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the "magnitude of the fraud" that could not have been done without the help of other individuals.
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