The document, which is the product of an inquiry by a civic hospital near Pune in western India into the issuance of a certificate of 7% locomotor disability to a woman who is now an IAS probationer, was found as per regulations and it was issued without any wrong doing according to another senior officer talking on July 24.
The Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital located in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), near Pune City, had handed her the certificate within August of 2022.
However, Ms. Khedkar is suspected of having attempted examination fraud through falsely working on disabled and Other Backward Classes (OBC) quotas for passing Union Public Service Commission exams. She is currently being examined about whether she submitted various certificates supplied by her to UPSC.
In the year 2022, she applied for disability certification about her left limb knee joint. She came here for her medical examinations and visited several departments where she underwent assessment. Officials told this out that on August 24th it released a certificate stating that she suffered from 7 percent disability in the knee.
According to the dean Mr Rajendra Wable who said he had ordered an internal probe into it after receiving a communication from the district collectorate asking whether there was any fault during issuance of the certificate or not and referring them to take necessary steps if there were any lapses; also directed them to file a complaint at their respective police stations if there were any irregularities related to it through his letter addressed internally to speciality orthopaedic and physiotherapy department located at YCM hospital. The district authorities have also asked him to approach law enforcement officers if something goes wrong.
It also urged penalization if rackets are detected.
“Last week we received this communication from Pune collector office following which we sought a report from our internal speciality orthopaedic and physiotherapy department of our hospital,” Dr Wable explained/ “The joint knee disability certificate that Khedkar has been awarded with is seven percent. “But the certificate would not be of any help in obtaining any facility either in education or jobs. That certificate is of no significance,” he said.
For benchmark disabilities (visual impairment and mental illness) her candidature for civil service examination was supported by two certificates, which she obtained from Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital in 2018 & 2021 respectively.
She was posted to Washim after being a probationary assistant collector with the Pune district collectorate, as she allegedly impersonated herself under disabled class.
While working here in Pune, she made use of her power sometimes and demanded what she was not supposed to have. She also used this category to avail herself of OBC and non-creamy layer quota in UPSC exams.
Her probation period elapsed when she fled immediately after allegations were made against her and was recalled at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration located at Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. Last week, UPSC took a series of actions including registration of police case against Ms. Khedkar who fraudulently attempted several times on the preliminary stage of Indian civil services examination using other person’s identity.
Finally, this commission has also given a show cause notice for cancellation of her candidature for civil services examination-2022; debarring her from future examinations/selections.
The Centre has directed the Pune police to update it on Mrs. Khedkar’s parents’ matrimony amidst allegations that she falsely obtained OBC non-creamy layer benefit in UPSC exam by asserting that her mother and father were separated.
