sc-extends-puja-khedkar-s-protection-from-arrest

The Supreme Court has extended its interim order protecting former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee Puja Khedkar from arrest. Khedkar is accused of forging documents to gain eligibility for the 2022 Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination.

 

A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma has directed the Delhi Police to expedite the investigation. The court questioned the delay, noting that Khedkar had already affirmed in an affidavit her willingness to cooperate.

 

Justice Nagarathna emphasised the need for a swift and focused probe while addressing Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the Delhi Police.

 

The court scheduled Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea hearing for 15 April. ASG Raju argued that a custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate the alleged scam involving fake documents submitted by UPSC candidates.

 

He stated that the probe aimed to determine whether Khedkar’s case was isolated or part of a broader conspiracy involving forged certificates.

 

The bench acknowledged the importance of identifying the source of the forged documents but noted that Khedkar’s detention was not necessarily required for this purpose.

 

Her counsel refuted the forgery allegations, arguing that she had been diagnosed with a low-vision disability only in 2018 and had attempted the UPSC exam three times since then.

 

Khedkar has challenged the Delhi High Court’s decision rejecting her anticipatory bail plea. The Supreme Court had granted her interim protection in January and instructed her to cooperate with the investigation.

 

She is accused of misusing reservations meant for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities to qualify for the UPSC examination.

 

The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed her bail plea, describing the case as a “classic example of fraud” against a constitutional body and society at large. The court also suggested that her influential parents’ positions could indicate possible collusion.

 

Khedkar faces criminal charges, with the Delhi Police alleging she used fraudulent means to claim OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination.