The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted a stay on the arrest of former Administrative Service (IAS) trainee officer Puja Khedkar in connection with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam cheating case.
The court ruled that no coercive action should be taken against Khedkar until the next hearing.
The bench also issued a notice to the Delhi government regarding Khedkar’s challenge to the Delhi High Court’s decision, which had earlier rejected her anticipatory bail plea. The matter is now scheduled for a hearing on February 14.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing Khedkar, argued that his client faced three allegations and was denied bail without being interrogated. He also contended that the Delhi High Court’s remarks had prejudged the case.
In response, the bench, consisting of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, scheduled the next hearing for February 14 and confirmed that no coercive measures would be taken in the interim.
Khedkar stands accused of manipulating documents in her UPSC civil services exam application to secure reservation benefits. She has denied all allegations against her. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had dismissed her anticipatory bail plea, citing the existence of a strong prima facie case and the necessity of an investigation to uncover a “larger conspiracy” to manipulate the recruitment system.
Court’s intervention provides Khedkar with temporary relief from arrest, while the case will continue to be heard in the coming weeks.
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(Inputs By Sambhav Sharma)
