'Even the most cunning criminal faltailsfullyottedfoott unfoldingt unfolding of Pooja Khoojaedonhped to the heights of IAS training, her every step exuded an aura of power and grace. Surrounded by police officers and the coveted government car with its flashing lights, Maharashtra's name proudly displayed, she walked with a presence that commanded respect, even fear, from the common folk. Her zeal to attain the official car embellished with red and blue beacons rushed her towards a precipice of impatience.
But it was this very fascination that extinguished her spotlight, now making a jail sentence seem inevitable. National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET) controversies have already whipped the country into a frenzy. Amid this chaos, allegations of misconduct in the UPSC exams have brought trainee IAS Pooja Khedkar into the harsh glare of media scrutiny. Investigations revealed that Pooja had attempted the examination more times than permissible, unlawfully bending the rules to her advantage.
In a pivot that shocked the investigative authorities, Pooja had adopted multiple identities, altering her father’s and mother’s names, her own image, her contact details, and even her physical address to ensnare every available opportunity, her deceit born of an insatiable ambition. The undercover operations of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had laid bare Pooja's web of lies, betraying her commitments to integrity.
According to the rules set by various categories in the UPSC exams, candidates from different backgrounds are entitled to a distinct number of attempts. For instance, a candidate from the General category can attempt the UPSC exams a total of six times before the age of 32, while OBC candidates have nine attempts up to the age of 35. Similarly, SC and ST candidates can take the exams any number of times up to the age of 37.
Pooja’s insatiable thirst to clear the civil services exams led her well beyond the limits of legitimate attempts. With each new attempt, she adopted a new identity, rewriting even her parents' names. Yet, the real fraudulence lay elsewhere. Pooja had topped the UPSC exams in 2022, securing an All India Rank of 841. Despite her relatively lower rank, she was allotted the coveted IAS category because she purportedly belonged to the OBC ‘Non-Creamy Layer’ and had a reported disability.
In her journey towards becoming an IAS officer, Pooja's story took a turn when she was sent to the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie as a trainee. With only a few months left to her training, Pooja Khedkar was appointed as the Assistant Collector in the Pune Collectorate Office. Here begins the bigger narrative that ultimately led to her disgrace. Her actions upon taking charge went far beyond the accepted norms, seizing the Collector's office, and replacing his nameplate with hers in an audacious display of entitlement.
Source: aajtak
She arrived in style, her car's license plate branded with 'Government of Maharashtra'. But her elaborate masquerade began to unravel the next day when the actual Collector walked in and was met with the shocking sight of his usurped office. What followed was a cascade of events leading to a frantic cover-up, her immediate transfer, and the exposure of a family immersed in controversy and ostentatious wealth disproportionate to their means.
As the scandal unravelled, it came to light that even Pooja's ranking as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was obtained under false pretenses. She reportedly manipulated her disability status and misused affirmative action policies. The ensuing media frenzy brought her family's questionable dealings to the spotlight, engulfing Pooja and her parents in allegations of corruption.
Source: aajtak
Consequently, the authorities nabbed the mother, and the father sought legal sanctuary to evade the looming arrest. Police filed a case against Pooja Khedkar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, and she now faces imminent arrest. UPSC also issued a show-cause notice, paving the way for annulment of her results and stripping her of the decorated IAS title.
In a gripping twist of fate, the small mistake borne of Pooja's impatience to acquire the privileges of an IAS officer has propelled her onto a path far removed from where she began. If only Pooja had waited a little longer, perhaps her web of falsehoods would have remained uncovered.
