Centre asks Pune cops to give details about marital status of Puja’s parents

Pune: The central government has instructed the Pune police to provide information on the marital status of the parents of IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, officials said on Tuesday. Allegations have surfaced that Puja obtained the Other Backward Classes (OBC) non-creamy layer quota advantage in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam by falsely claiming her parents — mother Manorama and father Dilip — were separated.

As per the rules, only those whose parents’ income is under ₹8 lakh per annum fall in the category of OBC non-creamy layer. Puja had claimed that her parents were separated, and she was living with her mother, even as her father retired as Class I officer from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) as a regional officer.

Ranjan Kumar Sharma, joint commissioner of police, said, “The Centre has asked us to find out the marital status (marriage/divorce) of her parents and report.”

In a video of her mock interview, Puja is seen saying that her parents were separated, and she is not in contact with her father.

Puja is accused of misusing power and privileges by demanding perks and facilities she was not entitled for during her training in Pune district collectorate. She was also accused of bullying staff and placing a red-blue beacon (indicating high-ranking official) atop a private Audi (a luxury sedan) car used by her that also had “Maharashtra Government” written on it during her stint. A criminal case has been registered against her in Delhi last week for “misrepresenting and falsifying facts”. The UPSC has also issued a show cause notice regarding the cancellation of her candidature for the 2022 examination and is considering barring her from future exams.

Dilip, as 2024 Lok Sabha candidate of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) from Ahmednagar, declared in his election affidavit assets worth over ₹40 crore. Puja has also reported an annual income of ₹42 lakh in the financial disclosures submitted to the government before joining the service on January 28, 2023. In her submission, Puja declared she owns property worth ₹22 crore.

Puja’s mother Manorama is currently in jail in a case pertaining to criminal intimidation as she was arrested by the Pune rural police for threatening a person with a gun in 2023 over a land dispute case.