The Delhi High Court is set to pronounce its decision regarding the anticipatory bail plea of former IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who faces allegations of fraud and misuse of reserved category benefits in the civil services examination. The charges were filed by the Delhi Police, accusing her of unlawfully claiming OBC and disability quota advantages.
Justice Chander Dhari Singh reserved the judgement for November 27, 2024, while extending the interim protection granted to Khedkar until the final verdict. Represented by Advocate Bina Madhvan, Khedkar assured the court of her willingness to cooperate with the investigation, asserting that custodial interrogation was unnecessary.
However, the Delhi Police, represented by Special Public Prosecutor Sanjeev Bhandari, opposed her bail plea, arguing that the ongoing investigation might require custodial interrogation to unravel a broader conspiracy. The prosecutor alleged that Khedkar’s actions, including a name change, were aimed at fraudulently availing additional attempts in the examination.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) also raised concerns, accusing Khedkar of perjury. The commission alleged that she submitted a false affidavit and manipulated facts to secure favorable court orders. UPSC refuted her claim that the commission collected biometric data during her personality test, clarifying that no such data is collected from candidates.
An FIR was registered against Khedkar based on a UPSC complaint, which accused her of falsifying her identity to extend her examination attempts beyond the permitted limit. UPSC further stated that Khedkar falsely claimed she had not received official communication regarding the cancellation of her candidature. The commission highlighted that the cancellation notice had been sent to her registered email address.
The court’s judgement will determine whether Khedkar is granted anticipatory bail as the investigation delves deeper into the alleged misuse of the civil services examination process.
