In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to former probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar until August 21. The decision comes amid allegations that Khedkar falsified information in her application for the 2022 UPSC Civil Services Examination.On Monday, Justice Subramonium Prasad of the Delhi High Court issued a notice to both the Delhi Police and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in response to Khedkars anticipatory bail plea. The court has directed them to file their responses by August 21, explaining why Khedkars custody is necessary to further investigate the alleged conspiracy. “As of now, it does not seem to me that her immediate custody is required,” remarked Justice Prasad.Temporary relief for Puja KhedkarThe courts order brings temporary relief to Khedkar, who was previously denied bail by the trial court on August 1. Despite this relief, Khedkar has been instructed to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.Khedkar, a 2023-batch IAS officer, is accused of exceeding the permissible attempt limit for the UPSC examination by falsifying her identity. The accusations include changing her name, her parents names, photograph, signature, email ID, mobile number, and address.The UPSC, on July 31, canceled her candidature and barred her from all future exams and selection processes.During the hearing, Justice Prasad questioned the necessity of Khedkars custody, given that the alleged misrepresentation appears to have been conducted solely by her. Senior advocate Naresh Kaushik, representing the UPSC, described Khedkar as a mastermind, highlighting the extent of her influence in manipulating the system.Notably, the falsification of the documents came to light in the month of June when Khedkar joined the Pune Collectorate as part of her probationary training. She has been accused of “misusing” quotas under Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons With Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) to clear the CSE.
