There is a whole list of frauds in the selection of trainee IAS Pooja Khedkar in UPSC. New revelations are coming out every day during the investigation. UPSC's investigation has revealed that she took advantage by forging disability certificate and even forging the name and address of her parents. Now Delhi Police is investigating her OBC certificate.
A show cause notice has been issued to Pooja Khedkar asking why her candidature in the 2022 Civil Services Examination should not be cancelled. The Delhi Crime Branch will also investigate how Khedkar secured an MBBS seat at Kashibai Navale Medical College in Pune by taking advantage of reservation in the 'Nomadic Tribe-3' category. Based on the complaint of the UPSC, the police have charged Pooja under sections 420 (cheating), 464 (making documents in the name of a fictitious person), 465 (forgery) and 471 (presenting a forged document as genuine) of the IPC. Apart from this, she is also charged under sections 89 and 91 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and section 66D of the Information Technology Act.
Father and Mother's name changed
The UPSC said, UPSC is conducting a thorough investigation into the case of Pooja Manorama Dilip Khedkar. She has committed fraud by changing her name, her father's and mother's name, her photograph/signature, her email ID, mobile number and address. In 2021, Khedkar cleared the main exam and had to take a medical test at AIIMS, from which she allegedly fled to avoid getting caught by pretending to have a disability. The next year she again appeared for the exam using fake certificates. Even before the results were out, she applied for UPSC 2023, an official said, citing a complaint to the UPSC.
The complaint alleges that Khedkar showed his parents Dilip and Manorama Khedkar as separate persons so that their assets could be separated and he could apply for fake income certificates. Manorama was arrested on Thursday in a separate criminal case. An official said that the investigation being conducted by the Department of Training (DoPT) into Khedkar's candidature is on track and the report should be ready in two weeks.
