‘Acted under pressure’: Dismissed IAS officer Puja Khedkar appeals against cancellation of non-creamy layer OBC certificate

PUNE/NASHIK: Dismissed IAS officer Puja Khedkar has filed an appeal before the state department for other backward classes (OBC) welfare against the Nashik divisional commissioner's decision to cancel her non-creamy layer certificate.

An officer from Nashik divisional commissioner Pravin Gedam's office told TOI that the certificate was cancelled over a month ago and the decision was communicated to all those concerned. "The action was taken after it was found that Khedkar had allegedly submitted ‘false and misleading information' to obtain the certificate," the officer said.

Puja's father, Dilip Khedkar, told TOI on Wednesday: "We have challenged the divisional commissioner's decision before the appellate authority i.e. the state OBC department. We will be presenting our side soon as we feel the divisional commissioner acted under pressure. My daughter's selection to the IAS was not under the OBC quota."

A 2023-batch officer, Puja Khedkar was discharged from the IAS in Sept last year with immediate effect as per rule 12 of the IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954, which provides for discharge of a probationer if s/he is found ineligible or unsuitable for service.

Khedkar is accused of availing benefits under the OBC and disability quotas to secure her selection. The Union Public Service Commission had cancelled her provisional candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022 and debarred her from all future exams conducted by the commission.

Based on a report submitted by the Maharashtra govt, the Centre had constituted a single-member panel to verify the claims made by Khedkar. The panel submitted its findings to the DoPT secretary on July 24, following which the order to discharge her was issued.


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