 "Trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar")
Former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar
The Delhi High Court on Monday (August 12) ordered that former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar should not be arrested by the police until August 21 in connection with a case involving allegations of fake identity, according to a report by Bar and Bench.
The FIR against Khedkar claimed that she misrepresented her identity to gain extra attempts at the civil services examination. A detailed hearing is set for August 21.
Khedkar had filed for anticipatory bail with the Delhi High Court, and the case is being heard by a bench led by Justice Subramanium Prasad. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra represented Khedkar, while advocate Naresh Kaushik represented the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
During the hearing on Monday, the UPSC accused Khedkar of being the key orchestrator behind the alleged irregularities. “She is a mastermind; without the help of others, it’s not possible,” the UPSC argued.
The court is currently deliberating whether custodial interrogation of Khedkar is necessary. Kaushik argued that her entry into the IAS through manipulative means justifies such an interrogation.
The court has also issued a notice to the Delhi Police and the UPSC, requesting an explanation as to why Khedkar’s custody is necessary for further investigation.
According to Bar and Bench, Justice Prasad expressed doubt that immediate custody of Khedkar was required. “As of now, it does not seem to me that her immediate custody is required,” Justice Prasad reportedly said.
“In light of the current circumstances, this court believes that the petitioner should not be arrested until the next hearing date (August 21),” the court ruled.
On July 31, the UPSC announced the cancellation of Khedkar’s provisional candidature and declared that she would be permanently barred from all future exams and selections.
What is the case against Puja Khedkar?
The case against Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer from the Maharashtra cadre, gained public attention in July following her demands for separate office space and staff, leading to her transfer from Pune to Washim.
She faces additional accusations of securing her IAS position by falsely claiming to belong to the Other Backward Class (OBC) and visually impaired categories and by submitting a mental illness certificate.
In her affidavit to the UPSC, Khedkar stated that she was both visually impaired and mentally ill. Despite scoring poorly, the concessions available to underprivileged candidates enabled her to pass the exam. Selected UPSC candidates with disabilities are required to undergo medical tests, but Khedkar reportedly refused to do so on at least five occasions.
This has led to questions about how she managed to bypass these tests and the authenticity of her claims. Reports indicate that she submitted an external MRI report, which was initially rejected by the UPSC. The Commission later challenged her selection in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which ruled against Khedkar in February 2023. However, her external MRI report was eventually accepted.
First Published: Aug 12 2024 | 1:42 PM IST
