The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of former IAS officer Puja Khedkar and ordered the vacating of her interim protection.
Justice Chandra Dhari Singh dismissed Khedkar’s bail application, emphasizing the prestige of the UPSC examination and stating that the alleged incident was not only a fraud against an institution but also against society.
The court stressed the need for interrogation to uncover the conspiracy behind the case.
The court found that Khedkar’s actions appeared to be aimed at deceiving the UPSC, noting that she was not a legitimate candidate but had obtained benefits using forged documents. It also pointed out that her parents held high-ranking positions, suggesting possible collusion with influential individuals.
Khedkar is facing criminal charges filed by the Delhi Police for allegedly cheating and unlawfully claiming benefits under the OBC and disability quotas in the civil services examination. Her advocate, Bina Madhvan, argued that Khedkar was willing to cooperate with the investigation and that custodial interrogation was unnecessary.
However, Delhi Police, represented by Special Public Prosecutor Sanjeev Bhandari, opposed the plea, stating that custodial interrogation might be necessary to uncover a larger conspiracy, as certain aspects of the case were still under investigation.
The police also revealed that Khedkar had allegedly changed her name to fraudulently avail additional attempts in the examination. Earlier, the Delhi Police informed the court that a broader conspiracy was emerging as the investigation progressed.
Meanwhile, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) withdrew its perjury applications but indicated that it would file a separate petition. UPSC accused Khedkar of committing perjury by submitting false statements in an attempt to manipulate the judicial process.
The UPSC further denied Khedkar’s claim that it had collected her biometrics during the civil services personality test, asserting that no biometric data was collected from any candidate during such tests.
In addition to the ongoing criminal case, the UPSC filed an application with the Delhi High Court, claiming that Khedkar falsely asserted she had not been notified of the cancellation of her candidature. UPSC clarified that the communication had been sent to her registered email ID, countering her previous statement made before the court.
Khedkar had recently filed an anticipatory bail application in relation to a FIR registered by the Delhi Police following a complaint by UPSC, accusing her of faking her identity to gain additional attempts in the civil services examination.
