The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Delhi Police are pushing for the custodial interrogation of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, accusing her of fabricating her identity to gain extra attempts in the civil services exam. Puja Khedkar accused by Delhi Police of such serious misconduct has raised significant concerns, with authorities seeking to investigate the claims thoroughly.

Puja Khedkar, who secured All India Rank 821 in the 2022 UPSC exam, has come under investigation following complaints about fake certificates and misconduct during her probationary appointment in Pune. The Delhi Police registered a first information report (FIR) on July 19 based on a complaint from the UPSC, which accused her of concealing information to gain an unfair advantage.

Khedkar sought pre-arrest bail, arguing that the cheating charges are still under investigation and should be treated as such until thoroughly examined. In her plea for anticipatory bail, Khedkar insisted she should be allowed to respond to the serious allegations against her. She noted that she received a show-cause notice from the UPSC on July 18 and that an FIR was filed the very next day.

Puja Khedkar accused by Delhi Police
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“On July 18, I was given a notice to show cause. The very next day they filed an FIR, and now they are insisting on my custodial interrogation. Why such swift action? I should be allowed to explain my position, and for that, I need anticipatory bail and a stay of arrest,” her counsel, advocate Bina Madhavan, comments.

To counter the allegations regarding her disability status, Khedkar submitted a disability certificate signed by eight doctors, confirming a 47% disability. She also pointed out that a board at AIIMS certified her as a person with benchmark disabilities.

Madhavan argued that Khedkar’s failure to disclose the number of exam attempts is a matter of inquiry, not immediate criminal action. “The allegation is that I mentioned 5 attempts, whereas it should have been 12. However, given that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act was not applied in earlier attempts, I appeared under a different quota. Whether this was done in good faith needs to be investigated,” she mentioned.

Madhavan also claimed that Khedkar is being subjected to a “witch hunt” by the media and suggested that the case was initiated in reprisal for a sexual harassment complaint Khedkar had filed during her training.

Special public prosecutor (SPP) Atul Srivastava, representing the Delhi Police, opposed the bail application, with an argument that Khedkar might not cooperate with the investigation if granted anticipatory bail. Srivastava stressed that Khedkar had cheated the UPSC by failing to disclose her previous nine attempts. “Had she revealed the correct information, she would not have been allowed to appear for the exam,” he states.

“By her actions, she has breached the integrity of the examination system, showing complete disregard for UPSC rules,” senior advocate Naresh Kaushik argued. He also pointed out that Khedkar had altered the spelling of her name and even changed the names of her parents to deceive the system.

After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its decision, which is expected to be announced on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the UPSC cancelled Khedkar’s provisional candidature and permanently barred her from all future examinations and selection procedures. The Commission said it had given Khedkar until 3:30 pm on Tuesday to respond to its notices, clearly stating that she would have no further opportunity to make her case and that action would be taken regardless of whether she explained.

"Despite extension in time allowed to her, she failed to submit her explanation within the prescribed time... the UPSC examined available records carefully and found her guilty of acting in contravention of the provisions of (rules)... her provisional candidature has been cancelled," the UPSC stated.

The UPSC also reviewed data from 15,000 other candidates between 2009 and 2023 "with respect to number of attempts availed by them" and found no other violation of the rules. Following her selection, Khedkar was posted to Pune as an Assistant Collector, then transferred to Washim district before being recalled to the training institute in Uttarakhand.

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