IAS trainee Puja Khedkar’s first reaction as UPSC files criminal case, says ’judiciary will take...’

After the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) filed a criminal case against Puja Khedkar, the trainee Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer said on Friday, "Judiciary will take it's course; whatever it is there, I will reply to that."

Her reaction came hours after the UPSC released a statement, informing that it has file a criminal case against the IAS probationary officer over her “misdemeanour” and "fraudulent" actions. She has been accused of allegedly misusing her authority.

In the statement, the UPSC said it has “initiated a series of actions against her, including Criminal Prosecution by filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the Police Authorities.

It stated that the Commission has also “issued a Show Cause Notice (SCN) for cancellation of her candidature of the Civil Services Examination-2022/ debarment from future examinations/ selections, in accordance with the Rules of the Civil Services Examination-2022.”

The UPSC said it thoroughly investigated the "misdemeanor" of Puja Khedkar and found that "she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father's and mother's name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address.

Official sources told news agency PTI the commission had on Thursday filed a complaint with the Delhi Police's crime branch against Khedkar.

Following the complaint, the police reportedly registered a case under relevant provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act and under the disabilities law to probe charges of forgery, cheating and misuse of disability quota in securing her candidature in the civil services.

Khedkar, a 2023-batch probationary 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 in Maharashtra recently.

She was 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.

After the Pune district collector flagged the matter, Khedkar was transferred to Washim District Collectorate in the Vidarbha region.