Today, On 30th July, The Delhi court scheduled to review the anticipatory bail plea of IAS trainee Puja Khedkar tomorrow. Khedkar is seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with charges that have not been disclosed. The hearing will determine whether she will be granted protection from arrest pending the investigation.
New Delhi: The Patiala House Court in Delhi set to review the anticipatory bail application of probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar on Wednesday. This pertains to an FIR lodged against her for allegedly “faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts beyond the permissible limit” in the civil services examination.
Previously, the Delhi Police filed an FIR following a complaint from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) against Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar.
According to a UPSC press release,
“The Commission has previously issued a show cause notice to her for the cancellation of her selection and debarment from future examinations. The investigation revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by falsifying her identity through altering her name, her parents’ names, her photograph/signature, email ID, mobile number, and address.”
Khedkar provisionally recommended as a candidate for the Civil Service Examination in 2022. The UPSC stated that it initiated several actions against her, including criminal prosecution, by filing an FIR with the police. A show cause notice has also been issued to cancel her candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022 and to bar her from future exams and selections, as per the rules of the Civil Services Examination 2022.
Additionally, the Commission emphasized that it strictly adheres to its constitutional mandate and conducts all its processes, including examinations, with the utmost diligence.
On July 16, Pooja Khedkar relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra and recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, with her training put on hold.
The letter from Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Gadre stated,
“LBSNAA Mussoorie has decided to suspend your district training programme and immediately recall you for further necessary action.”
The anticipatory bail plea of probationary IAS officer Pooja Khedkar scheduled for hearing on July 27, before Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala.
The court observed that an application under Section 338 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, had been filed by the complainant, seeking permission to file an objection and assist the Additional Public Prosecutor (PP).
The court stated,
“The complainant wishes to oppose the current bail application through a private counsel. Therefore, the court grants permission to the complainant’s counsel to present arguments in the bail application. The complainant is also free to file any ‘objections’ on record during the bail application proceedings. The applications are disposed of accordingly. The matter is scheduled for arguments on the bail application on July 30,”
Khedkar, who achieved an all-India rank of 821 in the UPSC exams, stands accused of misusing her authority.
Khedkar‘s father, Dilip Khedkar, is a former officer in the Maharashtra government currently embroiled in a corruption case, having faced suspension twice previously due to similar allegations, including extortion. Her mother, Manorama Khedkar, who serves as a sarpanch, is also under scrutiny after a video surfaced of her wielding a gun and issuing threats to a group of individuals.