Gujarat Probes 5 IAS Officers for Fake Disability

Ahmedabad : Following the controversy surrounding the trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, the Gujarat Government has ordered an inquiry against five IAS officers following suspicion that they might have submitted fake disability certificates. 

According to the reports, five IAS officers of Gujarat have been ordered to undergo medical tests again. A re-inquiry has been initiated following the submission that they were recruited into the civil service on the basis of a fake disability certificate.

Among these five officers, one IAS officer is a high-ranking officer in the administration of the state government. If all these officers are declared unfit in this medical examination, then the officials may lose their jobs. 

The General Administration Department of the Gujarat government expressed doubts about the disability certificate of five IAS officers of Gujarat. One senior officer cited visual impairment while three junior officers cited ‘locomotive disability’ as reasons in their disability certificates.

The Gujarat government has initiated an investigation following the submission that these officers too, like Puja Khedkar, were recruited in the civil service on the basis of fake disability certificates. 

What is the Pooja Khedkar case?

Puja Khedkar became IAS by showing fake OBC certificate. Puja showed fake certificate of OBC category to get admission in UPSC quota despite being a creamy layer OBC. According to the law, families whose annual income is Rs. 8 lakh per annum or above are placed in the creamy layer OBC category.

There is no quota in UPSC for creamy layer OBCs. Recently, when her father contested the Lok Sabha elections, it came to light that his actual income was much higher than Rs 8 lakh. When Dilip Khedkar’s income details were investigated during the elections, it was found that his entire family is billionaires and falls under the creamy layer OBCs. After this it came to light that Puja Khedkar is not an OBC,  but a creamy layer OBC.

Further investigation revealed the fact that all the certificates produced by Puja Khedkar are fake. After Puja Khedkar became IAS, more lies were revealed when an investigation was conducted. Puja Khedkar showed false certificates in UPSC not only OBC but physically handicapped. Pooja Khedkar said in UPSC that she has mental problems and weak eyes. Apart from this, there was also talk of locomotive disability in the left knee.