Puja Khedkar not an OBC, Hatched well-planned conspiracy: Cops

Former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar was not entitled to OBC and non-creamy layer reservation benefits and that a well-planed conspiracy was hatched to help her misrepresent information in her application for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2022, Delhi Police has submitted in its status report to the Delhi High Court.

The report has revealed that more people could have been involved in Khedkar's identity fraud case, reports India Today.

"The case has wider implications for public trust. It directly impacts the fairness and integrity of the entire examination and selection process. There are other forms of evidence, such as emails, text messages, physical records (that are) not yet submitted to authorities, or even personal records. Khedkar could alter or destroy these if granted protection at the initial stage of investigation," the police said in its status report.

Puja Khedkar allegedly misrepresented information in her UPSC application to get OBC category benefits. The UPSC cancelled her candidature and debarred her from future exams last month.

The investigation has revealed that Puja Khedkar showed her parents were legally separated by a decree of divorce in her UPSC application to reap the reservation benefits. However, in reality, her parents were not separated and were living together. Analysis of the call data record (CDR) of Puja Khedkar and her family revealed that the parents were in constant touch with each other and their location was also the same most of the time.

Puja Khedkar, in her application to the Sports Authority of India (SAI), mentioned that she resided with both her parents in Pune. Notably, she joined the SAI as an assistant director in 2022. This is in contrary to her claims in the UPSC application wherein she stated that her parents were divorced, and that she lived separately with her mother.

Furthermore, Puja Khedkar's father, Dilip Khedkar, who retired as the director of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) in 2023, did not submit any information pertaining to his separation or divorce to his employer at any point of time.

The Delhi Police said that Puja Khedkar's anticipatory bail could result in her affecting the probe by providing misleading information or pressurising others to alter records or testimony. Opposing the anticipatory bail (interim protection from arrest) granted to Puja Khedkar, the Delhi Police said that this could lead the former IAS trainee officer to create a "consistent narrative, cover up their tracks or manipulate remaining evidence"."This would significantly hinder the investigation's ability to uncover the complete scope of the fraud," the police said in its status report.