Delhi High Court Grants Interim Protection To IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar
Khedkar, who had joined the Pune Collectorate for probationary training in June, faced allegations of exploiting these quotas to clear the CSE. UPSC had lodged an FIR against her and issued a show-cause notice for the cancellation of her selection. Khedkar was accused of fraudulently exceeding the permissible attempts by falsifying her identity, including altering her name and personal details.
The Delhi High Court, on Monday, granted former IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar interim protection from arrest until August 21, following accusations of misrepresentation and falsification in her application for the 2022 UPSC Civil Services Examination.
The bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice on her anticipatory bail plea, requesting a response from the Delhi Police and UPSC, while ordering her cooperation in the investigation.
The trial court had previously denied Khedkar's bail application on August 1. During the hearing, Justice Prasad questioned the necessity of Khedkar’s custody, noting that she was the sole individual involved in the alleged misconduct.
Senior Advocate Naresh Kaushik, representing UPSC, described Khedkar as a ‘mastermind’, emphasizing her influential entry into the system.
The High Court observed that the trial court's order lacked a detailed discussion on why her custody was necessary for denying bail. The court further remarked that the trial court seemed overly focused on the severity of the alleged offense rather than the reasons for granting or denying bail.
On July 31, UPSC permanently disqualified Khedkar from all future exams and selections, citing her violation of the Civil Services Examination-2022 Rules. The trial court also directed the investigating agency to broaden its inquiry, particularly concerning candidates who misused OBC and PwBD quotas.
Case Title: Puja Khedkar v State