Former IAS probationer officer Puja Khedkar has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court order refusing to grant her anticipatory bail in a case related to the alleged misrepresentation of facts during the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination, 2022.
Former IAS probationer officer Puja Khedkar has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking anticipatory bail in a case related to the alleged misrepresentation of facts during the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination, 2022.
The petitioner challenged the Delhi High Court order of December 23, which dismissed her plea on the grounds that granting her anticipatory bail would affect the investigation in the case.
Khedkar submitted before the Apex Court that the FIR lodged against her disclosed offences based on documents and application forms were already in possession of the prosecution. Therefore, there was no further requirement of her custodial interrogation.
She further contended that she did not have any criminal antecedents, adding that she was an unmarried woman with a benchmark disability.
Khedkar contended that she was appointed after physical verification into the All India Services, which entitled her to protection under the All India Services Act and Rules. She was also entitled to further protection under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act until proved otherwise, noted the petitioner.
The top court of the country is likely to hear petition tomorrow.
On December 23, the single-Judge Bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh rejected the anticipatory bail petition filed by former IAS trainee officer Khedkar, accused of misrepresenting and falsifying facts in her application for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2022.
The High Court observed that prima facie, Khedkar was not a fit candidate to avail the benefits meant for disadvantaged groups. Besides, granting her anticipatory bail would affect the investigation in the case.
The High Court also vacated the interim protection from arrest granted to Khedkar in August, 2024 on the grounds that steps taken by her were part of a large conspiracy to manipulate the system.
It said since UPSC was one of the most prestigious examinations in the world, this was a classic case where a fraud was committed by Khedkar not only with the constitutional body, but also with the society at large.
Khedkar sought anticipatory bail on the ground that her custody was not required as all the evidence was documentary in nature. She further assured cooperation in the probe.
The Counsel appearing for the Delhi Police contended that Khedkar’s custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the involvement of other individuals in the matter.
Terming Khedkar a ‘mastermind’ in the case, complainant UPSC submitted that the way Khedkar got into the system spoke volumes about her influence over the system.
On July 31, the UPSC cancelled Khedkar’s candidature and debarred her permanently from all future examinations and selections of the Commission.
The Commission said the accused was found guilty of acting in ‘contravention’ of the provisions of the Civil Services Examination-2022 Rules.
Earlier, the trial court had denied anticipatory bail to Khedkar and directed the investigating agency to widen its scope of investigation in the case and conduct its probe in all fairness.
The trial court had further directed the probe agency to find out the candidates recommended in the past who have availed the benefits beyond permissible limits and those who obtained benefits under the OBC category or under persons with benchmark disabilities without being entitled for the same.
Khedkar joined the Pune Collectorate as part of her probationary training in June. She was accused of misusing the quotas under Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons With Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) to clear the CSE.
An FIR was registered against the accused by UPSC in the matter. A showcause notice was also issued to her after cancellation of her selection.
A statement issued by UPSC said that a detailed and thorough investigation into the misdemeanour of Khedkar revealed that she ‘fraudulently’ availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by ‘faking’ her identity and changing her name.
It further accused Khedkar of changing the names of her father and mother, as well as her photograph, signature, email address, mobile number, and address.