New Delhi:

Former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar on Friday urged the Delhi High Court to disregard seven of her 12 acknowledged attempts to pass the uber-competitive Civil Services entrance exam.

Specifically, Ms Khedkar doubled down on physical disability claims – she has a Maharashtra hospital certificate diagnosing her with an “old ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear with left knee instability” – and asked, therefore, that only attempts in the ‘divyang‘ category be counted.

She has claimed a 47 per cent disability as against the government’s 40 per cent benchmark.

The term ‘divyang‘ is the government’s term for persons with disabilities, although many have rejected the label, arguing it sets them apart from society and demanding, instead, focus on ensuring equal treatment and rights, as well as accessibility to public spaces and services.

In an affidavit filed with the court this morning she asked that her seven attempts as a general category student be disregarded. Should this be accepted, it will reduce the number of confirmed attempts to five (each of which she passed). This is four less than the upper limits for persons with disabilities, and one less than that allowed for general category candidates.

Puja Khedkar made headlines after claims she lied about physical and mental disabilities, and changed her name and surname, as well as forging an OBC certificate, to clear the exam.

READ | “Someone Doubted…”: Doctor On Trainee Officer’s Disability Claim

Ms Khedkar’s violations were exposed in June after it emerged she had secured perks beyond her pay grade, such as a siren and a ‘Government of Maharashtra’ sticker for her private vehicle.

The Delhi High Court is hearing an anticipatory bail plea by Ms Khedkar, who faces criminal charges, including forgery and cheating. On August 1 a city court had rejected her plea.

READ | Former Trainee IAS Puja Khedkar’s Anticipatory Bail Plea Rejected

The lower court dismissed Ms Khedkar’s claims about “imminent threat of arrest”.

Days later she moved the High Court and the police, also asked to submit a fresh response to her plea – were told not to arrest her till a final verdict. That protection is in place till Thursday.

The police have sought dismissal of her plea on grounds that any relief will hinder its investigation into a “deep-rooted conspiracy”. The cops also argued that giving Ms Khedkar bail could damage public perception of the integrity of the civil services examination and the UPSC.

The UPSC, in turn, has told the Delhi High Court Ms Khedkar committed a “fraud”.

Meanwhile, Ms Khedkar has also rejected a claim by the UPSC – which is the government body that conducts the exam – that she changed her name and surname for one of the 12 attempts, in an attempt to circumvent rules limiting chances per candidate, depending on certain factors.

READ | “Changed Her Name…”: UPSC On How Puja Khedkar Cheated

She claimed only her middle name had been altered and argued “therefore, there is no truth in the allegation that there has been a major change in my name”. “UPSC verified my identity through biometric data… did not find my documents (to be) fake or incorrect…” she argued.

READ | Puja Khedkar Claims UPSC Doesn’t Have Power To Disqualify Her

She has also claimed the UPSC, which has revoked her selection – lacks the authority to do so since she had already been selected and appointed as a probationary officer. Only the union government, specifically the Department of Personnel and Training, can take action, she said.

Last month the UPSC said Ms Khedkar had changed her name, and that of her parents, to secure another crack at the exam. The central body said she had been served a notice for “fraudulently availing attempts, beyond permissible limit… by faking her identity”.

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New Delhi:

The training of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar has been put on hold amid allegations of misuse of power and privileges. Ms Khedkar has been recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for “further necessary action”. Ms Khedkar was earlier transferred to Washim from Pune following accusations of manipulating disability and OBC certificates to gain entry into the civil services.

The General Administration Department of the Maharashtra government issued a directive stating, “You are hereby relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra.” The directive instructs Ms Khedkar to “join the academy at the earliest” but not later than July 23.

Ms Khedkar, a 2023-batch officer from Ahmednagar, claims to be the victim of a “media trial” alleging that a misinformation campaign has been waged against her.

The authenticity of various certificates submitted by Ms Khedkar to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is currently under investigation. These include certificates indicating visual impairment, which Ms Khedkar submitted under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category.

Despite being referred by the UPSC for a medical examination at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ms Khedkar reportedly missed six appointments between April and August 2022. In August 2022, she applied for another disability certificate from the Aundh government hospital in Pune, but her application was rejected following medical tests.

Ms Khedkar’s troubles began when she was accused of demanding unauthorised perks and facilities while serving as an assistant collector in Pune. Allegations include using a red beacon and a “Government of Maharashtra” sticker on her private Audi car, occupying the office of Pune Additional Collector Ajay More during his absence, and demanding office furniture, letterheads, a VIP number plate, a separate house, and a car. These perks are typically unavailable to probationary officers who are still in their 24-month probationary period.

Following these allegations, Ms Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim as a supernumerary assistant collector. This move was seen as a temporary measure pending further investigation.

An RTI activist from Pune, Vijay Kumbhar, alleged that Ms Khedkar’s father possessed assets worth Rs 40 crore, which would place the family well above the Rs 8 lakh annual income threshold for any reservation benefits.

Ms Khedkar has stated her willingness to testify before the expert committee, expressing confidence that the truth will emerge. “Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee and the truth will come out,” she said.

The Pune Police are also investigating Ms Khedkar’s parents in a criminal case involving her mother, Manorama Khedkar, a village sarpanch, who was allegedly seen threatening individuals with a gun over a land dispute in a video. An FIR has been filed against the couple and five others in connection with this incident.

Ms Khedkar has lodged a harassment complaint against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase. According to an official, women police personnel visited Ms Khedkar at her residence in Washim, where she filed the complaint.