National News
UPSC Cancels Puja Khedkar’s IAS Candidature, Bans Her From Appearing For Future Exams
Puja Khedkar, the controversial IAS officer, got a huge blow on Wednesday (July 31) as Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) cancelled her provisional candidature and permanently banned from appearing for all future UPSC exams.
While taking severe action against Puja Khedkar, UPSC said that she did not heed the deadline given to her to explain her side and report back at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie. The commission also said that Khedkar violated Civil Services Examination rules.
“A Show Cause Notice (SCN) was issued by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination-2022 (CSE-2022) on 18th July, 2024 for fraudulently availing attempts beyond the permissible limit provided for in the Examination Rules by faking her identity,” UPSC said in its statement.
“Despite extension in time allowed to her, she failed to submit her explanation within the prescribed time,” it added.
The Puja Khedkar saga
Puja Khedkar, formerly a trainee IAS officer, came to light after Pune District Collector Suhas Diwase formally requested her transfer away from his office. Previously, she had insisted on privileges not granted to a trainee IAS officer. She used beacon on her private vehicle, again something that was against the rules.
“A Show Cause Notice (SCN) was issued by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to Ms. Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar, a provisionally recommended candidate of the Civil Services Examination-2022 (CSE-2022) on 18th July, 2024 for fraudulently availing attempts beyond the permissible limit provided for in the Examination Rules by faking her identity,” UPSC said in its statement.
What seemed like a disciplinary issue soon blew up into a big scandal as it was revealed that Khedkar had misused Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Physically Handicapped (PH) quota to secure position of an IAS officer.
It then came to light that she had appeared UPSC exam multiple times using different combinations of her name.
It did not help Puja’s case when videos of her mother Manorama threatening people with a gun surfaced online.
All this had a cumulative effect of a PR disaster and more for Khedkar. UPSC took a major step of pausing her training. She was called to LBSNAA to explain her side. But Khedkar did not remain present before the academy.
UPSC has already filed a complaint against Khedkar following which an FIR was filled by Delhi Police. She has moved court for an anticipatory bail. Patiala House court in Delhi is expected to deliver its decision on August 1. Khedkar faces criminal prosecution.
Crime
CBI arrests proclaimed offender in Bengal gold trader’s murder in 2007

New Delhi, July 14: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested proclaimed offender Shibu Kumar Singh, one of the accused in the 2007 Sukanta Ghosh murder case, an official said.
He was arrested from his hideout at Raiganj Road in Gorakhpur’s South Gandhi Ashram, where he was living under the assumed name Akhilesh Kumar Shahi, the CBI official said in a statement.
The case was registered on the order of Calcutta High Court delivered on August 27, 2009.
After investigation, the CBI filed charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet on December 31, 2010, and November 14,2011, respectively, against Shibu Kumar Singh and three others, the statement said.
Absconding for several years, Shibu Kumar Singh was declared a proclaimed offender on September 15, 2016.
The accused was apprehended using human intelligence and technical inputs, the CBI said.
After obtaining a transit warrant, the accused will be taken to Kolkata for production before the competent court on Wednesday, the CBI added.
Barrackpore-based gold merchant Sukanta Ghosh was murdered on July 6, 2007.
The police found his body lying in a pool of blood with 18 stab wounds in Jawahar Kunja of Latbagan.
The police, after initial investigation, found that there was suspicion of the involvement of some goons allegedly working under the patronage of a Left legislator and his brothers.
The investigators found that the victim was murdered for refusing to pay protection or extortion money to the local mafia linked to the MLA.
During the investigation, the High Court had even directed the CBI to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the murder.
Justice Samapti Chatterjee had instructed the CBI to frame the SIT to reinvestigate the case that had initially been probed by the state police.
The High Court had directed that the SIT should be led by a CBI officer of the rank of Joint Director who would be responsible for providing updates to facilitate a court-monitored probe.
National News
NIA chargesheets 6th accused in CPI-Maoist Magadh zone revival, extortion case

New Delhi, July 14: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed its third chargesheet in a major conspiracy case, naming Chandan Kumar as the sixth accused in the revival of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit’s activities in the Magadh zone of Jharkhand and the systematic extortion of funds from contractors to procure arms and ammunition.
The chargesheet was submitted before the NIA Special Court in Ranchi, Jharkhand, in connection with a case, which the anti-terror agency had registered suo motu in December 2021.
Chandan Kumar, arrested by the NIA from Mumbai in January 2026, is described as a key figure in the operation.
According to the NIA’s investigation, Chandan Kumar played an active role in raising funds for the CPI (Maoist) through extortion from contractors working in the region.
The agency’s probe revealed that these illicit funds were channelled through multiple routes to support the terror outfit’s activities, including the purchase of arms and ammunition.
Further investigations established that Chandan Kumar was also involved in efforts to revive the CPI (Maoist)’s Magadh Zone by mobilising and encouraging former cadres to re-join the organisation.
His alleged objective was to strengthen the group’s presence and propagate its ideology through violent means.
The chargesheet highlights that prominent SAC Member of CPI (Maoist), Pradyuman Sharma, along with other accused persons including Abhinav and Chandan Kumar, were part of the larger conspiracy to resurrect the banned organisation’s operational capabilities in the area.
The NIA’s findings point to a well-planned strategy by the Maoist group to regain influence in the Magadh region through financial extortion and cadre mobilisation.
The agency has gathered substantial evidence linking the accused to these terror-related activities.
This is the third charge-sheet filed by the NIA in the case so far, with six accused now formally charge-sheeted.
The central probe agency is continuing its investigation to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy, identify additional operatives, and trace the complete money trail.
The development underscores the NIA’s ongoing commitment to dismantling the financial and operational networks of Left-Wing Extremist organisations operating in the country. Officials indicated that further arrests and chargesheets may follow as the investigation progresses.
Crime
Delhi Cyber Police bust mule bank account racket, arrest four in courier scam case

New Delhi, July 14: The Cyber Police Station of North-East District, Delhi, has busted a mule bank account racket and arrested four persons in connection with a fraud case involving cheating of Rs 2.47 lakh on the pretext of a courier delivery company.
The arrested accused have been identified as Md. Arbaz Daniyal alias Labbu (20), Jimmy Bathla (41), Abdul Wadood (27), and Aniket Verma (25). Police said the accused were allegedly involved in operating and supplying mule bank accounts used to receive and transfer money obtained through cyber fraud.
According to the police, a case vide e-FIR No. 00194/2026 dated 16.06.2026 under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Cyber Police Station, North-East District, on the complaint of Satender, a resident of Babarpur, North-East Delhi, who works as Deputy General Manager (DGM) at Delhi Transco Limited (DTL).
Police said the complainant received a call from a fraudster impersonating a courier executive regarding the delivery of a parcel. The caller allegedly convinced him to dial a number and activate call and message forwarding on his mobile phone. As a result, incoming calls and SMSs, including banking OTPs, were diverted to numbers controlled by the fraudsters, allowing them to fraudulently withdraw Rs 2.47 lakh from his bank account.
During the investigation, police analysed financial transactions, technical evidence and field intelligence to trace the money trail. Investigators found that Rs 80,000 of the cheated amount had been transferred to a Nainital Bank account belonging to the accused Md. Arbaz Daniyal alias Labbu.
Police said further investigation revealed that the account was allegedly opened and operated as a mule account for receiving proceeds of cyber fraud. A dedicated team conducted raids in Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand and Lucknow, Mirzapur and Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh, leading to the arrest of all four accused.
“Investigation has exposed a well-organised network engaged in procuring and supplying mule bank accounts to cyber fraudsters for laundering cheated money,” Delhi Police said.
During interrogation, police said Md. Arbaz disclosed that he had opened the bank account on the instructions of Jimmy Bathla in exchange for Rs 50,000. Jimmy allegedly handed over the account to Abdul Wadood for Rs 1 lakh.
Police further said Abdul Wadood allegedly supplied the Nainital Bank account details to Aniket Verma, who then provided the account information to cyber fraudsters operating through Telegram for use in online financial frauds.
Four mobile phones, one from each accused, have been recovered during the investigation. Police said analysis of the seized devices revealed transaction details linked to the alleged cyber fraud network.
The arrests have provided important leads about the larger interstate cyber fraud syndicate, and efforts are underway to identify other members, trace additional fraudulent transactions and recover the remaining proceeds of crime.
-
Crime4 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra2 years agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News2 years agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News2 years agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime2 years agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
