Medical Disability Request by IAS Trainee Raises Important Questions
Ms. Khedkar, an Ahmednagar, Gujarat, 2023 batch officer, made headlines last week when it was revealed that she had lied about her mental and visual health in order to get a position as an officer.
In August 2022, Puja Khedkar, the trainee IAS officer who is accused of fabricating mental and visual impairments to gain admission to the Civil Services and then abusing her position, applied for a disability certificate from Pune. However, doctors who examined her rejected her application, stating that “it is not possible.”
“Please refer to your application dated 23/08/2022 for issue (of) disability certificate for following disability: Locomotor Disability (which can refer to cerebral palsy or a condition affecting bones or muscles that could restrict movement of the legs or arms)…”
“… you have been examined by the undersigned / Medical Board on 11/10/2022 and I / We regret to inform that… it is not possible to issue a disability certificate in your favour,” the letter stated.For the purpose of issuing a disability certificate for the following disability, please refer to your application dated August 23, 2022: Cerebral palsy or another disorder affecting the bones or muscles that could limit mobility of the arms or legs is referred to as locomotor disability.”
Ms. Khedkar made an attempt to obtain a medical certificate for the second time. According to reports, she had attempted to obtain a certificate from Ahmednagar earlier.
Ms. Khedkar, an Ahmednagar-born officer from the 2023 batch, made headlines last week (for all the wrong reasons) when it was revealed that, despite receiving an unimpressive score on the extremely difficult qualifying exam, she had lied about her mental and visual health to get an officer’s post.
Last week, it came to light that Ms. Khedkar had six times refused to submit to a required medical examination to verify her disability during the selection process for an IAS post.
According to reports, the first exam was set for April 2022 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. She ignored this, saying her COVID-19 test result was positive.
They also skipped two appointments in July and August, as well as two for the next month. In September, she attended a sixth class just partially; she did not show up for an MRI to determine the extent of her visual loss.
If she did not want to take the exam, it is not evident how or why she was appointed.
After obtaining the position of Assistant Collector for the Pune district, she is said to have conned her into receiving benefits such as a ‘Government of Maharashtra’ sticker and a siren, or beacon, for her private car, an Audi sedan. Officers who are on probation are not eligible for any of these benefits.
Pune Police stated they will act in regards to the red beacon issue.
She might have also attempted to talk police officers out of holding a family member who was detained on a larceny charge. A one-person tribunal is currently investigating Ms. Khedkar, and should she be found guilty, she will lose her job. Ms. Khedkar’s family is also embroiled in a dispute of their own.
A video of her mother, Manorama Khedkar, a local sarpanch, brandishing a weapon during a quarrel has led to an Arms Act prosecution against her. Dilip Khedkar, a retired state government official who may have assisted Ms. Khedkar in obtaining the position and benefits, is a co-accused.
In Washington, Ms. Khedkar works as a Supernumerary Assistant Collector. She has stated that “government rules forbid me from speaking” in response to questions about the accusations made against her and her family.
But both the mother and the father are missing.
Mr. Khedkar emphasised that his daughter belongs to the non-creamy class of OBCs and asserted that she had not committed any crimes before he became inaccessible. An individual who earns more than ₹ 8 lakh annually for their family is classified as belonging to the creamy layer and is not qualified for reservation benefits.
Source: NDTV
