The Delhi High Court on December 23, 2024 denied the grant of anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, embattled in a criminal case for alleged cheating and misuse of OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination.
Justice Chandra Dhari Singh said, “Anticipatory bail plea is dismissed. Interim protection from arrest is vacated,” and underlined the seriousness of the matter. The judge observed that a prima facie case had been established against Khedkar and that further investigation was required in the alleged conspiracy.
The case has been termed a serious fraud not only against a constitutional body but also against the society at large. Khedkar has been accused of furnishing fake information in her application to the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022 with the intention of securing reservation benefits.
The application for pre-arrest bail was opposed by both the Delhi Police and the complainant, UPSC, which was represented through senior advocates Naresh Kaushik and Vardhman Kaushik.
Khedkar, who had earlier come under scrutiny for misusing a beacon and VIP plate on her private vehicle, is being investigated for allegedly submitting forged disability documents. The Delhi Police has said that her disability certificate may be forged.
Acting on the complaints, the UPSC cancelled Khedkar’s candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022 and banned her from appearing in future examinations. Contrary to the piling-up allegations, Khedkar has denied the charges from time to time, claiming that she is innocent of all the accusations, which according to her are a sort of media trial.
In July, the UPSC started these procedures against Khedkar, which finally resulted in the registration of an FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Information Technology Act, and the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act.
