Pune doctors turned down controversial IAS officer’s plea for disability certificate

Puja Khedkar, the controversial trainee IAS officer from Maharashtra, had applied for a disability certificate from Pune in August 2022 but was rejected by doctors who examined her and said “it is not possible”.

The officer is facing allegations of lying about mental and visual infirmities to qualify for the Civil Services, and then abusing her position.

“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,” she was told in a letter.

Second attempt

This was Khedkar’s second bid to secure such a medical certificate. Reports indicate she earlier tried to get a certificate from Ahmednagar, as per a report in NDTV.

A 2023-batch officer from Ahmednagar, Khedkar first hit the headlines for alleged misuse of power, following which it came to light that she lied about her mental and physical condition to secure an officer's post despite an unremarkable score in the ultra-competitive qualifying exam

While going through the selection process in the UPSC, Khedkar had repeatedly refused to undergo a mandatory medical test to confirm her disabilities. Reports said the first test had been scheduled at AIIMS, Delhi, for April 2022. She skipped this claiming to have tested positive for COVID-19.

Two appointments for the following month were also skipped, as were those in July and August. She partially responded to the sixth call in September, as she did not appear for a MRI test to assess vision loss. It is unclear how, or why, she was appointed if she, in fact, declined to appear for the examination.

Khedkar is now being investigated by a one-member panel and will be sacked if found guilty.

Kin in trouble

Meanwhile, her family also finds itself mired in a controversy. Her mother, Manorama Khedkar, who is a village sarpanch, is facing an Arms Act case after a video showed her brandishing a pistol during an argument. Her father, Dilip Khedkar, a retired state government officer who may have helped her secure the post and perks, is a co-accused.

Both her father and mother have gone missing now. Before he became unreachable, Dilip Khedkar claimed his daughter had done nothing illegal and emphasised that she belongs to the non-creamy layer of OBCs.

A person with a family income of more than Rs 8 lakh per annum is considered to be from the creamy layer and is not eligible for reservation benefits.