The Chhattisgarh

Tag: Puja Khedkar

  • IAS Probationer Puja’s Mother Manorama Khedkar Sent to Judicial Custody In Land Dispute Case |

    A Pune court remanded Manorama Khedkar, mother of the probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with a criminal case related to a land dispute on Monday. Additionally, her bail application was denied on the grounds that the charge of attempted murder has been applied, which is only within the jurisdiction of a sessions court, according to the prosecution. Last year, Manorama Khedkar was arrested for purportedly threatening individuals with a gun during a land dispute in Pune district.

    Manorama Khedkar appeared before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in the Paud region following the conclusion of her police custody. The prosecution did not request an extension of her police remand, leading JMFC Sudhir Barde to order a 14-day judicial custody, as stated by Public Prosecutor Amar Nanaware.

    Subsequently, Manorama Khedkar’s defense counsel filed for regular bail. Nevertheless, the JMFC noted that the offense under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder), cited in her case, is exclusively triable by a sessions court and thus declined to grant bail.

    Public Prosecutor Nanaware reported that the defense’s bail plea was based on a Supreme Court decision allowing magistrate courts to grant bail in cases typically tried by sessions courts. He responded by citing case law that emphasizes the gravity of IPC section 307 offenses, which precludes JMFC courts from granting bail, leaving such authority solely to sessions courts.

    Manorama Khedkar, who had evaded capture for several days, was eventually detained at a lodge in Hirkaniwadi village near Mahad, Raigad district, on July 18.

    The search for Manorama and her spouse, Dilip Khedkar—a retired official of the Maharashtra government—was initiated by the police following the emergence of a video that depicted her allegedly using a firearm to threaten individuals over a land dispute at Dhadwali village in Pune’s Mulshi tehsil in 2023.

    The Paud police in Pune rural had booked the Khedkar couple and five others under IPC sections 307, 144 (unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 147 (rioting) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and also invoked the Arms Act against them.

    On Saturday, the police had informed the JMFC court that they had recovered the pistol and the car used in the crime.

    Puja Khedkar is under scrutiny for her claims regarding disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) candidature and conduct during her posting at the Pune collector’s office.

  • After Puja Khedkar, Debate Surrounding Ex-IAS Abhishek Singh’s UPSC Selection In ‘Disability Quota’ Heats Up |

    Pooja Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer from the 2023 batch, is under fire for allegedly misusing the Other Backward Class quota and disability benefits to obtain an IAS job. Khedkar is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 2023 batch who is currently on probation and assigned to her home cadre in Maharashtra. The 34-year-old has become a subject of discussion recently due to allegations surrounding her demands before assuming the role of Assistant Collector in Pune. It is alleged that she requested separate accommodation from the Pune District Collector before taking charge.

    Additionally, she was reportedly using a private Audi car with a special registration number. Amidst rising questions about her appointment, the central government has initiated an inquiry into the matter. The controversy has gained traction on social media, where former IAS officer Abhishek Singh’s appointment from the 2011 batch has also come under scrutiny. The viral nature of the posts has prompted various reactions from social media users.

    One user speculated that Abhishek Singh might be the same person known for dancing and possibly a hero figure. According to UPSC’s PDF, Singh has been allocated a quota, specifically under Locomotor Disability (LD). This has raised questions about whether Singh is eligible under this category. Social media users have expressed mixed opinions following the posts going viral.

    One user claimed that Singh had been dismissed by the Uttar Pradesh government, while another mentioned his attempt to rejoin the IAS after not succeeding in becoming a Member of Parliament, but was advised by the Yogi government to focus on politics instead. The controversy has also led to broader discussions about transparency in the UPSC appointments.

     

    अभिषेक सिंह,,,,, शाय़द वहीं अभिषेक सिंह जो डांस करते हैं,,ये वहीं अभिषेक सिंह हैं जो हीरो हैं,,, यूपीएससी के पीडीएफ के अनुसार इनको कोटा मिला है,,, और ये कोटा LD लगा हुआ है,
    क्या अभिषेक सिंह Locomotor Disability से ग्रसित हैं ? pic.twitter.com/GUzO4jtF60
    — UPSC के लुटेरे हैं सब दिल्ली में (@VivekGa54515036) July 12, 2024

    A user criticized the lack of transparency in the entire UPSC process, from preliminaries to interviews, within a year’s time. Another user argued against the meaningfulness of the LD quota, citing their achievement of securing the 94th rank in the examination. As the debate unfolds, stakeholders continue to call for greater transparency and accountability in the bureaucratic selection process.

  • Opinion: IAS Puja Khedkar Row Questions Integrity Of UPSC; Shows Uber-Competitive Exam Can Be Rigged |

    For the past few years, incidents of paper leaks have become common. Lakhs of students suffer due to this, many lose hope, many opportunities due to age limits and exam cancellation and many stare at an uncertain future. The paper leak issue gained prominence after Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh witnessed multiple exam leaks within a shorter span of time and it peaked when the prestigious medical entrance exam NEET-UG paper was leaked in Bihar and exam centres were managed in Gujarat and Haryana. 

    After NEET, the NET-UG exams came under the scanner for paper leak, the recent incident of an IAS selection has raised serious question marks on the integrity of the prestigious Union Public Service Commission. The selection of Puja Khedkar has raised some serious questions not only on the UPSC exam but also on the panel which interviewed her and the official who issued a joining later to her overriding CAT ruling. The puja Khedkar incident shows that even the UPSC exam can be rigged and compromised. It also shows that politicians and ex-civil servants can influence the interview of desired candidates. 

    RTI replies obtained by a Maharashtra activist expose Puja Khedkar’s selection at multiple levels. Her claim of falling into the OBC non-creamy layer is also under question. She is also accused of changing her OBC category. As per RTI replies, his father Dilip Khedkar, a retired government official, has assets of over Rs 40 crore. Even Puja Khedkar has assets worth Rs 22 crore and an annual income of Rs 42 lakh, way higher than the non-creamy layer’s limit of Rs 8 lakh.

    IAS officer Puja Khedkar’s parents, having a non-creamy layer certificate, possess property that includes 110 acres of agricultural land, violating the Agricultural Land Ceiling Act, 6 shops (1.6 lakh sq ft), 7 flats, including one in Hiranandani; 900 grams of gold, diamonds, a… pic.twitter.com/V9u1P5CQ0O
    — Vijay Kumbhar (@VijayKumbhar62) July 11, 2024

    Coming to her disability claims. In 2021, she was selected as Assistant Director in sport authority in OBC PwBD 1 but in 2023, she mysteriously changed her category PwBD1 to PwBD5 which she used to get selected as IAS. She is facing allegations of fudging her Physical Disability certificate in connivance with state government officials using his father’s influence.

    2. In 2021, Pooja selected as Assistant Director in sport authority in OBC PwBD 1 but in 2023, she mysteriously chanced her category 4m PwBD1 to PwBD5 & got selected as IAS. pic.twitter.com/IZJNdT1JqC
    — The Story Teller (@IamTheStory__) July 10, 2024

    While news interviews and viral videos of her mock interviews show that she is completely fine, Khedkar claimed that she of visually impaired and mentally ill. Civil services are prestigious posts and the IAS officers often deal with many critical situations including riots and stone pelting which requires quick decision making. How can a person claiming to be mentally ill become suitable for such a post? The Centre needs to revise the disability criteria for selections in the civil services. It’s also being alleged that of the six medical tests scheduled at AIIMS Delhi to ascertain her disability, Khedkar half-attended only the sixth and skipped the earlier five giving different reasons. She also did not go under the MRI test to ascertain her visual impairment. 

    It seems that a mysterious hand is working all the time supporting her selection. The 32-year-old IAS officer got 841 rank in the civil services exam under the OBC-PwBD5 quota. While only those securing a rank till 180 get an IAS posting, Puja Khedkar mysteriously got the IAS post despite a very low rank. Since she did not complete all required steps including the medical test, the UPSC had challenged her selection before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The CAT even ruled against her in February 2023. Yet she got a joining letter months later. This allegedly shows that some UPSC insiders helped her despite the CAT ruling bypassing the government. It is being alleged that her father Dilip Khedkar used his influence with the support of some big politicians. 

    The allocation of the IAS posting to Khedkar, who allegedly deceived the system about her economic background and misrepresented her health, has brought shock to lakhs of students who work extremely hard every year in seclusion sacrificing their family time, their social life despite failures waiting for their next attempt until they exhaust all options. 

    The Khedkar episode will reveal the true face of the government – will she be sacked and booked for fraud if found guilty or is she only offered punishment posting?  Her selection and the allegations surrounding her is a test case for the government. Since the issue has shot to the limelight due to constant media coverage, the government has appointed a single-member panel to look into the allegations. However, the data available in the public domain prima facie shows she did her best to game the system and succeeded in her attempt. Now, it’s up to the government to bring the truth to the fore and restore the credibility of the UPSC which is under scanner.