Time Warp? Puja Khedkar Aged Only One Year From 2020 To 2023, Documents Show
Date
7/16/2024 5:00:18 AM
(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is already embroiled in controversy for alleged misuse of quotas and abuse of power, is now under fresh scrutiny due to a discrepancy in her age as recorded on official documents. According to documents accessed by India Today reveal that Khedkar's details for the Common Admission Test (CAT) in 2020 and the UPSC civil service exam in 2023 show only a one-year difference in age, despite a three-year gap between the applications.
Additionally, Khedkar used slightly different names on the applications-Khedkar Puja Deeliprao in 2020 and Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar in 2023. The 34-year-old IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre is already under investigation for allegedly misrepresenting herself under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) and Other Backward Class (OBC) categories to qualify for the civil service exam.
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She is also accused of misusing her position during her posting in Pune. Pune Police are currently examining the authenticity of medical certificates submitted by Khedkar, one of which claimed visual impairment under the PwBD provision.
Amid these allegations, a doctor's certificate Khedkar submitted for admission to a Pune medical college in 2007 has surfaced, declaring her "medically fit" with no apparent disability.
"There was no mention of any disability, whether physical or mental, in the medical fitness certificate submitted by Puja Khedkar," Dr. Arvind Bhore, director of the Kashibai Navale Medical College in Pune said.
However, Khedkar has maintained her innocence, saying that the truth will come out and that a government committee will make the final decision on her case. "I will testify before the committee. I think whatever decision the committee will take should be acceptable to all... Neither I nor you (media) or the public can decide," she said.
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The committee, established last week by the central government, has been tasked with verifying Khedkar's candidacy within two weeks. Khedkar's comments came amid separate efforts by Pune Police to locate her parents in connection with a criminal case.
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