close_game
close_game

Puja Khedkar moves Supreme Court to seek pre-arrest bail; hearing on Wednesday

ByAbraham Thomas
Jan 14, 2025 09:16 PM IST

The Delhi HC had rejected Puja Khedkar’s petition, reasoning that her case was a “classic example” of a fraud not only committed on UPSC but also the society

NEW DELHI: Former probationary Indian Administrative (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar has approached the Supreme Court to seek pre-arrest bail in connection with accusations that she fraudulently availed attempts in the civil services examination by suppressing information from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Puja Khedkar told the Supreme Court that there was no need for her custodial interrogation since most of the charges were based on documentary evidence already with the police (ANI FILE PHOTO)
Puja Khedkar told the Supreme Court that there was no need for her custodial interrogation since most of the charges were based on documentary evidence already with the police (ANI FILE PHOTO)

The petition is tentatively listed for hearing on Wednesday before a bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma.

In her petition filed earlier this month, Khedkar challenged the December 23 verdict of the Delhi high court, arguing that the high court failed to appreciate that the charges against her pertaining to cheating and fraud were mostly based on documentary evidence already in possession of the Delhi police probing the case.

The petition, filed by law firm Lawyers Knit & Co, also said there was no need for her custodial interrogation as she had promised to cooperate with the probe. Earlier, a city court too had refused to grant her anticipatory bail.

The petition further highlighted that she was a person with benchmark disability that was verified post her entry into the All India Services. After being successful in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 in the persons with benchmark disability (PwBD) category, Khedkar as a probationer was assigned to Indian Administrative Service and allocated Maharashtra cadre.

Khedkar said she suffered from multiple disabilities of low vision, hearing impairment, and mental illness, which were recognised under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act). She also added that she hailed from the Vanjari community which falls under other backward class (OBC).

According to the case against her, she appeared in the CSE from year 2012 to 2017 based on the OBC certificate issued to her by sub-divisional officer, Pathravi in district Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. In 2018, when the RPwD Act came into force, she became eligible to appear as PwBD candidate and appeared as such in the CSE since the year 2018.

According to the investigation conducted against her, by CSE 2020, she had already exhausted all the nine permissible attempts available to PwBD and OBC candidates and was not eligible to appear in the CSE 2021. It is alleged that she deliberately changed her name in 2021 and appeared in CSE 2021, 2022, and 2023 by making “incorrect or false statements” regarding the number of attempts already availed by her.

The UPSC issued her show cause notices in July last year for alleged suppression of information. A show cause notice was also issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension before UPSC cancelled her provisional candidature on July 31, 2024.

The Delhi high court, while rejecting her plea for pre-arrest bail, observed that Khedkar’s case was a “classic example” of a fraud committed not only against a constitutional body such as UPSC but also the society at large, and held that her interrogation was necessary to unearth the larger conspiracy employed by her to manipulate the system and reveal all aspects of the fraud committed against the nation.

The high court also suspected the possibility that there were “unknown powerful persons” who helped her obtain the requisite certificates for appearing in CSE.

“The steps taken by the petitioner were a part of the large conspiracy to manipulate the system and investigation in this regard would be impacted if she is granted anticipatory bail. The present incident is a classic example of a fraud committed not only with the constitutional body but the society at large and necessary interrogation is warranted to reveal all the aspects related to the said fraud committed against the nation,” the high court added.

Puja Khedkar has been booked under sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code; besides provisions under the Information Technology Act and RPwD Act.

She has denied the allegations against her.

rec-icon Recommended Topics
Share this article
Get Current Updates on India News, Weather Today, Latest News at Hindustan Times.
See More
Get Current Updates on India News, Weather Today, Latest News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Monday, February 10, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On