The case against IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who is accused of abusing the disability and Other Backward Class (OBC) quota to obtain a civil service position, has taken a new turn when a Pune hospital confirmed on Wednesday that the 2023 batch trainee's disability certificate was issued without any malpractice.

Dr. Rajendra Wable, the dean of YCM Hospital, told HT that the certificate was granted in accordance with the regulations and that there had been no foul play. He said, “The internal report confirmed that the certificate was issued following a thorough assessment by our physiotherapy and orthopaedic departments and the medical test conducted was as per rules and there was no foul play found.”

Dr Rajendra Wable further stated that the investigation's findings ruled out Puja Khedkar's claims to have a locomotor disability.

After getting a letter on this from the Pune Collector's office, the hospital looked into the medical certifications to find out if any of the statements were fake.

An examination of the probe shows that while the hospital confirmed Puja Khedkar was from the Pimpri Chinchwad area, it did not confirm the applicant's address because it is beyond of its jurisdiction.

Puja Khedkar was reportedly abusing her authority, leading to her relocation from Pune to Washim on July 8. She was on probation, but she still wanted benefits and took over the position of another collector.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)