- Key Points:
- Puja Khedkar denies allegations of using fake certificates to secure IAS position.
- Central government forms a committee to investigate her documents.
- Puja condemns media trials, insists on the constitutional presumption of innocence.
Did Puja Khedkar Really Use Fake Certificates to Become an IAS Officer?
Facing serious accusations of misusing the OBC quota and disability provisions to secure her position in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), probationary officer Puja Khedkar broke her silence on Monday, July 15. Addressing the media, she asserted that the truth will come out once she presents her case to the central committee investigating these charges.
In response to the allegations, the central government has formed a single-member committee to re-examine the documents Puja submitted during her civil services examination and subsequent selection for the IAS. “The experts of the government committee will decide. Neither I, nor the media, nor the public can decide,” Puja stated firmly.
Puja stressed the importance of the constitutional principle that individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. She criticized the media for conducting a trial through public opinion, saying, “Proving me guilty by media trial is wrong on everybody’s part. Whatever my submission is, I will give it in front of the committee, and the truth will come out.”
Recently, Puja was transferred from Pune to Washim following allegations of high-handedness during her probationary period at the Pune district collectorate. The controversy grew with reports that she had demanded separate office space and an official vehicle.
The outcome of the committee’s investigation will be crucial in determining Puja’s future in the IAS. For now, Puja maintains her innocence and awaits the official verdict.
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