Centre discharges Puja Khedkar from IAS with immediate effect

This comes weeks after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled Khedkar's provisional candidature.

Khedkar has been discharged from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) under Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, with immediate effect."

Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, provides for discharge on ground of a probationer having been found to be ineligible to be recruited to the Service.

According to sources, Khedkar was found to have availed of more number of attempts at the Civil services examination than her claimed category pf OBC and PwD permitted an had exhausted that that limit prior to 2022 the year of her selection.

On July 31, the UPSC through a press statement stated that it has taken a decision to cancel the provisional candidature of Puja Khedkar, who was facing accusations of cheating and forgery. The UPSC found Puja Khedkar guilty of violating rules and debarred her from all the future exams and selections.

The UPSC stated that it has carefully considered the request of Puja Khedkar and in order to meet the ends of justice, she was granted time till 3:30 pm of 30th July, 2024 so as to enable her to submit the response to the show cause notice.

Former probationary IAS Puja Khedkar moved the Delhi High Court in August challenging Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) decision to cancel her candidature.

The Delhi Police through a fresh status report filed has informed the Delhi High Court that suspended trainee IAS Puja Khedkar submitted two disability certificates, with the suspicion that one of them might be forged.

In her recent reply to the Delhi High Court, Pooja Khedkar, who faces accusations of cheating and improperly securing OBC and disability quota benefits, stated that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) does not have the authority to disqualify her.

UPSC had argued that Puja Khedkar is a "mastermind" and that her actions would not have been possible without the assistance of others. This argument supports their position that custodial interrogation is necessary. (ANI)