THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, April 21: The Supreme Court has granted interim protection to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who is accused of cheating and wrongfully availing of OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services exam.
The court directed Khedkar to appear before the Delhi Police on May 2 and clarified that no coercive action would be taken against her until the next hearing on May 21.
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During the proceedings, the Delhi Police, represented by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, argued that Khedkar’s custodial interrogation was necessary.
However, the bench, consisting of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, emphasized the lack of significant progress in the investigation and instructed the police to complete their probe promptly.
Khedkar forged documents to avail disability and quota benefits
The case has drawn significant attention due to the serious nature of the charges, which include allegations of systemic manipulation involving forged documents and impersonation in the civil services selection process.
Khedkar has been charged by the Delhi Police with fraudulently securing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination.
Khedkar is alleged to have misrepresented facts in her application for the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022 to claim reservation benefits.
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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.
