The Delhi High Court has recently granted the controversial ex-IAS trainee Puja Khedkar with ‘interim protection.’ Justice Subramonium Prasad extended the said interim relief to Khedkar until August 21st. He issued notices to both the Delhi Police and the UPSC regarding her anticipatory bail plea, also asking them to file their responses.
“In the facts of the present case, the court is of the opinion that the petitioner should not be arrested till the next date of hearing,” expressed Justice Prasad. During the hearing, Ms. Khedkar was represented by senior advocate Mr. Siddharth Luthra, while Mr. Naresh Kaushik represented the UPSC.
During the judicial face-off, the Union Public Service Commission said, “She (Ms. Puja Khedkar) is a mastermind, without the help of others it’s not possible.“
Earlier, a local court had turned down Ms. Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar. Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.
Ms. Puja Khedkar, a 2022 batch ex-IAS officer under training, became a subject of intense discourse over the internet and national television after allegations arose that she had lied about her mental and visual condition, through “fraudulently” obtained certificates from the District Civil Hospital in Ahmednagar, to secure an officer’s post despite an unremarkable score in the ultra-competitive qualifying exam. Khedkar was “diagnosed” with Locomotor Disability and a 7% permanent disability concerning her left lower limb. She also obtained a second certificate, which covered both low vision and mental illness (depression).
The conundrum was fueled when it was learned that Khedkar, while going through the selection process for an IAS post, had refused to undergo a mandatory medical test to confirm her disabilities six times in a row! It is pertinent to mention that she secured an All India Rank of 821 under the Physical Disability (PWD-5) category in the 2022 UPSC exams. The Union government established a one-member committee to verify Khedkar’s candidature and instructed it to submit a report within two weeks.
The Union Public Service Commission initiated multiple actions against Khedkar, including filing an FIR with the police and issuing a Show Cause Notice to cancel her candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022 and to bar her from future examinations and selections.
The entire fiasco unfurled after she made demands for a separate cabin and staff during her Pune posting. She demanded a red-blue beacon light, a VIP number plate, along with a ‘Maharashtra government’ board affixed to her private Audi car and other shenanigans while being posted as the Super Numerary Assistant Collector in Pune.
