Puja Khedkar case: Centre asks Pune cops to give details about marital status of IAS probationer's parents

Pune: The Centre has directed the Pune police to apprise it of the marital status of the parents of controversial IAS probationer Puja Khedkar amid allegations that she fraudulently availed of the OBC non-creamy layer benefit in the UPSC exam by claiming that they were separated, an official said.

Khedkar is accused of misusing power and privileges by demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled for during her training in Pune district collectorate in Maharashtra recently. She was also accused of bullying everyone around and of placing a red-blue beacon (indicating high-ranking official) atop a private Audi (a luxury sedan) car used by her that also had 'Maharashtra Government' written on it during her stint.

A criminal case has been registered against her in Delhi last week for "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.

Talking to PTI, a senior official of the Pune police confirmed that the central government has asked them to apprise it of whether the parents of Puja Khedkar - mother Manorama and father Dilip - were divorced.

"We have been asked to find out and inform to the central government about whether Puja Khedkar's parents were divorced. In a nutshell, it has asked us to verify the actual status of their marriage/divorce," the official said.

The UPSC last week took a series of actions, including registration of a police case, against Puja Khedkar for fraudulently availing attempts in the civil services examination by faking her identity.

The commission has also issued a show cause notice for cancellation of her candidature of the civil services examination-2022 and debarment from future examinations and selections.

Khedkar, a 2023 batch probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is accused of misusing power and privileges, by demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled for, during her training in Pune district collectorate.

Her probation period was put on hold and she was recalled to Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Uttarakhand's Mussoorie.

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

In a video of her mock interview, Khedkar was asked why her family income has been shown as 'zero' when her father was a civil servant, she is seen saying that her parents were separated and she is not in contact with her father.

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

Khedkar's mother Manorama is currently in jail in a case pertaining to criminal intimidation as she was arrested by Pune rural police for threatening a person with a gun in 2023 over a land dispute case. Her father Dilip, a retired government officer, is also an accused in the case and received an interim protection from the court in Pune till July 25.