In the case of former IAS trainee Pooja Khedkar, Delhi Police has filed a counter affidavit in the High Court. The police has told the Delhi High Court that former IAS Pooja Khedkar had submitted two disability certificates to show several disabilities. Investigation has revealed that one of these documents may be ‘fake’ and ‘fabricated’.
Delhi Police has made this argument in response to Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea. Police said that Khedkar has submitted two different disability certificates for Civil Services Examination- 2022 and Civil Services Examination- 2023 respectively.
The certificate was not issued as per the rules
After verification, the ‘Issuing Medical Authority, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra’ claimed that the certificate showing disability, hearing impairment and low vision was not issued as per the ‘Civil Surgeon Office records’. The status report states that there is a high possibility of the disability certificate being fake or forged.
The hearing of this case is to be held today i.e. on 5th September. Pooja Khedkar is accused of committing fraud and taking wrong advantage of Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota. Pooja has filed an anticipatory bail petition in the Delhi High Court.
Also read: Big change in UPSC IAS exam rules after Pooja Khedkar case
What are the allegations against former trainee IAS Pooja Khedkar?
Pooja Khedkar was a trainee IAS of the 2023 batch. She got the 841st rank in the Civil Services Exam-2022. Her training was going on at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie since June 2024. She is accused of providing wrong information about herself to UPSC to avail the benefit of reservation. She is accused of giving wrong information about her age and parents, giving the civil services exam more times than the prescribed limit by changing her identity, submitting fake caste and disability certificates. UPSC found Pooja Khedkar guilty of fraud in its internal investigation and canceled her selection on July 31, 202.
In this case, an FIR has been lodged against her by UPSC and the sword of arrest is hanging over her. Pooja Khedkar had first reached Patiala House Court in Delhi demanding a stay on her arrest. But the court refused to grant her relief on August 1, 2022. After this, she filed a petition in the Delhi High Court on August 8, 2022. On August 12, the Delhi High Court had imposed an interim stay on the arrest of the former trainee IAS. She has sought anticipatory bail from the court. The next hearing in this case is now to be held on August 29.
Also read: Big relief to Pooja Khedkar, court stops her from arrest in fake identity case
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)