NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday extended till March 17 its interim order of protection to former IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar, accused of forging her documents qua disability and OBC status to obtain eligibility for the 2022 prestigious UPSC test.
Supreme Court Extends Interim Protection for Ex-IAS Trainee in UPSC Cheating Case
"No coercive steps be taken against her (Puja Khedkar) till the next date of hearing on March 17. Let the interim protection be continued. List the matter for further hearing after three weeks," a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma.
The court directed Khedkar to cooperate in the investigation and fixed the matter for further hearing to March 18.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju appeared for UPSC and others. Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra represented Khedkar.
Earlier on January 15, the court had protected her against any coercive action and issued notice to Delhi government and other respective respondents to file their replies.
Khedkar approached the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Delhi High court, which had rejected her anticipatory bail plea on December 23 2024, in connection with her providing information to secure reservation benefits in the competitive examination.
Also Read: HC rejects anticipatory bail plea by ex IAS trainee Puja Khedkar [Read Judgment]
Puja Khedkar Accused of Forging Documents for UPSC Eligibility
The prosecution in its complainant alleged that Khedkar is accused of fraudulently availing reservation meant for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and persons with Benchmark Disabilities in order to clear the UPSC exam.
The former IAS trainee officer vehemently denied these allegations and claimed innocence.
In her appeal filed in the top court, she said that the FIR against her disclosed the offences which are based on documents and applications forms already in possession of the prosecution. "Hence, no further custodial interrogation is required. Her detention is unnecessary, as the evidence is primarily documentary," she said in her appeal.
The Delhi HC, while turning down her anticipatory bail plea, had said that it is a classic case of fraud with not only a constitutional body but the whole society and nation as a whole.
In July 2024, the UPSC cancelled her candidature and barred her from future exams, accusing her of perpetrating fraud against the commission and the public.
The case against Khedkar included charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Information Technology (IT) Act and Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
The FIR, registered by the Delhi Police on July 19, 2024, stems from allegations that Khedkar exploited the system to fraudulently secure exam attempts and reservations. The UPSC, which filed a criminal complaint in July, insisted that her alleged actions compromised the integrity of the civil services examination, affecting public trust.
Khedkar, in her appeal said, she belongs to Vanjari Community, which is OBC and she has a OBC caste certificate issued from Sub-Divisional Officer, Pathravi, District Ahmednagar.
Also Read: Did trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar fake disability?
That from the year 2012 to 2017, the Petitioner (Khedkar) took 5 attempts in CSE as OBC candidate. That in 2018, with coming into effect of Rights of Person's with Disability Act, 2016, she became eligible to appear as PwBD candidate under categories (a) and (d) of Sec 34 (1) of the Rights Person of Disability Act 2016 and as such appeared in CSE since the year 2018 as PwBD candidate.
While being posted at Pune, she was sexually harassed by Suhas Divase, the District Collector of Pune by abusing his position and authority, attempted to exploit the Applicant due to her probationary status, she said.
"The petitioner filed a complaint against the District Collector to the Chief Secretary. Meanwhile, Divase submitted a report to the Additional Chief Secretary, regarding Petitioner's seating arrangements, use of a private vehicle, and recommended her transfer from Pune. This report was also circulated widely on social media harming the good will of the petitioner," Khedkar said in his appeal.
In its judgment, the High Court had noted apart from owning luxury cars and various properties, the family of the petitioner i.e., the father and mother have held high positions in the executive.
As per the rules, a candidate belonging to OBC category must show an income below Rs 8 Lakhs and the petitioner herein had mentioned her family income as Rs 6 Lakhs (mother’s income) and had not mentioned anything about the income of her father as she has claimed to reside with her mother and does not have anything to do with her father, however, the documents submitted by her father makes it clear that the said claim is also untrue and her parents are living together with the petitioner, it had said.
The material placed on record by the State revealed that the petitioner’s family owns 23 pieces of immovable property as well as 12 vehicles registered in their name. The petitioner herself has three luxury cars in her name (BMW, Mercedes and Mahindra Thar) which is not possible with a meager family income of Rs 6,00,000 per annum, the bench had said.
