A Delhi court denied bail to former trainee Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar, accused of fraudulently clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination by misusing the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities reservations.
![[Breaking] Former IAS Trainee IAS Puja Khedkar, Delhi Court Rejects Anticipatory Bail Plea Over Alleged Misuse of Disability and "OBC" Quota Certificate](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ASDVSDV.jpg?resize=820%2C504&ssl=1)
NEW DELHI: Today (1st August): A Delhi court denied bail to former trainee Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar, accused of fraudulently clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination by misusing the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities reservations.
READ ALSO: IAS Trainee Puja Khedkar|| Delhi Court to Review Anticipatory Bail Plea Tomorrow
Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala denied Khedkar’s anticipatory bail and directed the Delhi Police to expand their investigation to identify if others had similarly misused the OBC and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) quotas.
The court ordered the investigation to include candidates recommended by UPSC who might have exceeded the permissible age limit under the OBC quota or availed PwD benefits without entitlement. The Delhi Police were also instructed to investigate possible involvement of UPSC officials in aiding Khedkar.
Khedkar faces accusations from UPSC for altering her identity details, including her name, parents’ names, photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and address, to fraudulently gain additional exam attempts beyond the permissible limit.
The police argued against granting anticipatory bail, claiming Khedkar might not cooperate with the investigation.
Khedkar contended the case was retaliatory, prompted by a sexual harassment complaint she filed against the Pune Collector, and requested an opportunity to defend herself under service rules. However, both the Delhi Police and UPSC emphasized the necessity of custodial interrogation due to the serious nature of the allegations.
“The investigation agency needs to broaden the scope of their inquiry. They are directed to identify recent UPSC-recommended candidates who have exceeded the permissible age limit under the OBC quota and those who have improperly availed benefits under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities category,” the Court ordered.
The Court also instructed,
“The Delhi Police should investigate whether UPSC officials assisted Khedkar.”
The Delhi Police filed the case against Khedkar based on a complaint from the UPSC.
According to the UPSC’s investigation, Khedkar
“fraudulently obtained additional attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by altering her identity, including changing her name, her parents’ names, her photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and address.”
The UPSC has canceled Khedkar’s selection, permanently barred her from future exams and selections, citing her violation of CSE-2022 Rules.
Advocate Bina Madhavan represented Khedkar, while Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava represented the Delhi Police, and Senior Advocate Naresh Kaushik represented UPSC.
Background
Khedkar sought anticipatory bail after being booked for allegedly misusing quotas designated for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) to clear the UPSC exams. The Delhi Police registered a case against her based on a complaint from the UPSC, which also issued her a show cause notice.
The UPSC’s complaint alleges that Khedkar fraudulently availed additional attempts by altering her name, her parents’ names, her photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and address. In light of these findings, the UPSC has initiated proceedings for the cancellation of her selection and future disqualification from the exams. Khedkar, who had been provisionally recommended for the Civil Services Examination, 2022, has also been subjected to criminal prosecution.
Further complicating matters, Khedkar’s father, Dilip Khedkar, a former Maharashtra government officer, faces a corruption case and has been suspended twice over related charges, including extortion. Her mother, Manorama Khedkar, a sarpanch, is also in legal trouble following the circulation of a video showing her brandishing a gun and threatening a group of people.
In response to the allegations, Khedkar was relieved from her district training programme in Maharashtra on July 16 and recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie. Her training has been put on hold pending further investigation.
