IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar Accused of Forgery and Misuse of Reservation Quota

Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar has been accused of falsifying documents to exploit the UPSC reservation quota, as reported by India Today. Allegations against Khedkar include the use of a fake address and a fraudulent ration card to obtain a disability certificate.

The accusations surfaced after Khedkar was transferred from Pune to Washim amid suspicions of forgery and misuse of the reservation policy meant for individuals with disabilities and those from the OBC non-creamy layer category.

Khedkar had provided an address—plot number 53, Dehu-Alandi, Talwade—to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCM) as her residence in the Pimpri Chinchwad region. However, this location was actually the site of a defunct company, Thermoverita Engineering Private Ltd. According to India Today’s investigation, documents showed that this false address was used to create a fake ration card. Khedkar then used these doctored documents to obtain a disability certificate from YCM hospital in Pune, which stated she had a seven percent locomotor disability in her knee.

The disability certificate, issued on August 24, 2022, facilitated Khedkar’s claim to the reservation quota. Further investigations revealed that an Audi car was registered under Thermoverita Engineering, the company linked to her fake address. Additionally, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipality’s tax department reported pending dues of ₹2.7 lakh from the company over the past three years.

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