The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim protection from arrest to former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar, accused of fraudulently clearing the civil services examination held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Issuing a notice on her appeal challenging the Delhi High Court order denying her anticipatory bail, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma directed that no coercive steps be taken against her until the next date of hearing. The notice is returnable by February 14.
Justice Nagarathna told senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, who appeared for Khedkar, what the apprehension was when nothing had happened to her so far. Luthra responded that the high court had made some strong remarks and that it would complicate matters for her if the case goes to trial.
When the bench asked what Khedkar was doing now, Luthra said she had lost her job and was pursuing legal remedies.
Khedkar has been accused of cheating and wrongly availing of OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services exam. She has denied all allegations. Delhi Police have registered an FIR under provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Information Technology Act, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
Khedkar contended in her plea that there was no need for custodial interrogation as the case against her is based on documentary material to which the prosecution already has access.
Rejecting her prayer for anticipatory bail, the high court had said, “Prima facie, it is established that the conduct of the petitioner has been truly driven with the motive to dupe the complainant, UPSC, and all the documents arranged by her were done in order to reap benefits of schemes meant for disadvantaged groups in society.”
“Apart from owning luxury cars and various properties, the family of the petitioner, that is father and mother, have held high positions; therefore, there is (a) high possibility that family members have colluded with unknown powerful persons in order to get the requisite certificates produced by the petitioner,” the court had further said.
Earlier, on August 1, 2024, a Delhi court dismissed Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea.
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