THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Sept 26: The Delhi High Court on Thursday extended the interim protection from arrest for former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar until October 4. She is facing a criminal case for alleged cheating and misusing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services exam.
Justice Chandra Dhari Singh adjourned the hearing on her anticipatory bail plea after her lawyer’s requested.
The Delhi Police’s counsel requested a brief adjournment from the court, citing the revelation of a “larger conspiracy” involving forgery and document fabrication.
During the hearing, Khedkar’s lawyer requested additional time to respond to the UPSC’s allegation that she committed perjury by providing false statements in her anticipatory bail plea.
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She argued that her debarment was a consequence of filing a sexual harassment complaint against an officer and expressed concerns about media scrutiny of the case.
The UPSC and the Delhi Police have both sought to have her pre-arrest bail plea dismissed.
Khedkar forged documents to avail disability and quota benefits
Khedkar is alleged to have misrepresented facts in her application for the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022 to claim reservation benefits.
Khedkar, who was appointed as an IAS officer in the 2023 Maharashtra cadre, is alleged to have forged documents, such as a Physical Disability Certificate and a Non-Creamy Layer Certificate, to secure OBC reservation in the competitive exam. She is also accused of falsifying her identity to take the UPSC exam beyond the allowed number of attempts.
On July 31, the UPSC revoked Khedkar’s candidature and prohibited her from future examinations. The UPSC stated that it thoroughly reviewed the available records and determined that she was guilty of violating the rules of the CSE-2022.
