Delhi HC grants interim protection from arrest to Puja Khedkar

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted interim protection from arrest to former Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by faking her identity.  

Issuing notice on Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea, a bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the Delhi Police and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to file their response by August 21. 

In the meantime, Khedkar will cooperate with the investigation but will not be arrested, as per the Delhi HC order.

Earlier, a court here turned down her 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.

On August 7, the UPSC told the Delhi High Court that it would communicate to Khedkar within two days on its order cancelling her provisional candidature for CSE-2022.

A bench of Justice Jyoti Singh was hearing a plea filed by the former IAS trainee challenging the validity of a press release issued by the UPSC cancelling her provisional candidature and permanently debarring her from all future exams/selections.

Disposing of Khedkar’s plea, the high court granted her liberty to approach the appropriate judicial forum for remedy. 

The UPSC, Central government, Maharashtra government, and the police are conducting separate probes against Khedkar, while the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie has removed her from field training as a trainee IAS officer in Pune and Washim districts. 

The UPSC had said that its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) "could not detect her number of attempts primarily because she changed not only her name but also her parents’ names".