The troubles of former Maharashtra cadre trainee IAS Pooja Khedkar are not decreasing. Pooja first lost her job and now Delhi’s Patiala Court has also refused to give relief. The court has rejected her anticipatory bail plea. The court asked whether anyone had helped Pooja in UPSC? Instructions have been given to find out about this. Pooja is accused of committing fraud in UPSC job and now she is afraid of arrest. At the same time, the police is searching for Pooja and wants to interrogate her regarding the entire fraud.
In fact, after the controversy, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has filed an FIR against Pooja Khedkar. Along with this, Pooja’s selection as a trainee IAS officer has been canceled and she has also been banned from appearing in the examination in future. UPSC took this step when the investigation found Pooja guilty of misusing reservation and giving her wrong identity. Pooja has been accused of fraudulently taking advantage of the reservation of OBC (non-creamy layer) and benchmark disabled persons to pass the UPSC exam.
Did anyone help you in UPSC?
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On Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangla of Patiala House Court has also directed Delhi Police to expand the scope of investigation. The court said that the police should also find out whether any other person has also taken advantage of the quota reserved for OBC and other disabled persons? Did any officer help Pooja Khedkar in UPSC?
Pooja violated the rules of UPSC
Earlier, UPSC had found Pooja guilty of violating the rules of Civil Services Examination 2022 in its investigation. The investigation revealed that Pooja had created a fake identity by changing her name, her father’s name and fraudulently took advantage of more attempts than the limit allowed under the exam rules. The UPSC panel said that a show cause notice was issued to Pooja on July 18. Later the deadline was extended to July 30. But Pooja did not submit her explanation.
‘Custodial interrogation of Puja is necessary’
On Thursday, Delhi Police and UPSC argued in the court that there is a need to go deeper into this matter. For this, it is necessary to take Pooja into custody and interrogate her. Pooja has cheated the system and society. Pooja has misused the legal process. She can misuse the law further as well. She comes from a well-off family. At the same time, Pooja had claimed through her lawyer that I am in danger of arrest. The court asked that if the investigation is in the initial stage, then why is the police in a hurry to arrest? On this, the public prosecutor said, if Pooja gets anticipatory bail, she will not cooperate in the investigation. Individuals who cheat the system should be dealt with very seriously.
What did Pooja’s lawyer say in the court?
Advocate Bina Mahadevan, on behalf of Pooja Khedkar, said that she wants anticipatory bail to prove her innocence. I (Khedkar) have filed a complaint of sexual harassment, that is why all this is being done against me. All this is happening at the behest of the collector, against whom I have complained of sexual harassment. The person asked me to come and sit in a private room. I said that I am a qualified IAS and I will not do this. I want anticipatory bail to prove my innocence. Mahadevan told the court that Khedkar did not hide any information and the number of attempts is being wrongly mentioned. Bina Mahadevan said that Pooja has been summoned by many officials. IAS Academy Mussoorie called me (Khedkar). Then Pune Commissioner called. DoPT also gave notice. I need anticipatory bail to defend myself in front of all these forums. She said that since this case, the media is conspiring against Khedkar, but she did not go to the media even once. Because I have full faith in the justice system.
Currently, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has registered a case against Pooja for misusing the disability and other backward class (non-creamy layer) quota to secure her candidature in the civil services examination. A team of Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) level of the Crime Branch has been assigned the responsibility of collecting documents from various government departments.
FIR against Pooja under these sections
An FIR was registered against Pooja under sections 420 (cheating), 464 (forging document in the name of fictitious person), 465 (forgery) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code, and sections 89 and 91 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and section 66D of the Information Technology Act.
what is the whole matter
Pooja Khedkar was a 2023 batch trainee IAS in Maharashtra. She was first posted as a trainee assistant collector in Pune District Collectorate. Earlier this month, a controversy arose regarding Pooja. Pune Collector Dr. Suhas Diwase wrote a letter to the Secretariat and alleged that Pooja occupied the chamber of Additional Collector Ajay More in the Collectorate Office and misbehaved with the employees. Pooja allegedly misused her power and privileges and demanded facilities and allowances to which she was not entitled. There was a demand for Pooja’s transfer. On this, the government sent Pooja from Pune to Washim district. Meanwhile, the investigation revealed that Pooja committed a fraud to pass the UPSC exam and took undue advantage of everything from fake identity card to reservation. An old alleged video of Pooja’s mother Manorama Khedkar also surfaced. In this, she was seen threatening with a pistol in a dispute over land. The police registered an FIR against Pooja’s mother Manorama and father Dilip Khedkar. Later, Pooja’s mother was arrested.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)