SC Grant Relief to Puja Khedkar, Protects from Arrest till Next Hearing

In a significant development, the Supreme Court has provided relief to Puja Khedkar, an IAS probationer accused of misrepresenting her application for the 2022 UPSC Civil Services Examination to avail of reservation benefits. The apex court intervened and protected Puja Khedkar from arrest till February 14, 2025, offering her a major reprieve after the Delhi High Court had earlier denied her anticipatory bail.

Supreme Court Notice to Delhi Govt and UPSC

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma issued a notice to the Delhi government and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in response to Khedkar’s plea for anticipatory bail. The case will again be heard on February 14, 2025. Khedkar’s counsel during the proceedings strongly rebutted the allegations against her and asserted her innocence.

Delhi High Court Rejects Bail

The case is from December 2023, when the Delhi High Court refused to grant anticipatory bail to Khedkar, accused of cheating and allegedly wrongfully availing OBC and disability quotas in the UPSC exam. The Delhi Police and the UPSC had opposed the bail plea, considering the seriousness of the accusations against Khedkar. Still, Khedkar had approached the Supreme Court to seek a stay on her arrest.

Cheating Allegations Against Puja Khedkar

The controversy began in July 2023 when the UPSC launched an inquiry into Khedkar’s civil services examination attempt. The UPSC claimed that Khedkar had misrepresented her identity in order to avail multiple attempts in the examination under OBC and disability categories. This led to the registration of a criminal case against her, invoking provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act, and the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act. The Delhi Police subsequently filed an FIR against Khedkar.

Interim Protection Granted in August 2023

After the FIR was filed, Khedkar moved the Delhi High Court for anticipatory bail, citing that she was falsely implicated in the case. Although the High Court rejected her plea initially, it granted her interim protection against arrest on 12 August 2023. The court gave her interim relief several times but ultimately rejected her application for pre-arrest bail in December 2023. This is the reason why Khedkar is now appealing before the Supreme Court.

Khedkar Denies Charges

Khedkar has been denying the charges throughout the legal process, stating that she did not indulge in any fraudulent activities during the UPSC examination process. Her lawyers have argued that the allegations against her are baseless and politically motivated.

The case continues to attract considerable attention, given the profile of the UPSC exams and the necessity to maintain fairness and transparency in the selection process. The Supreme Court has, in the meanwhile, granted Khedkar protection from arrest for the time being, which has been a temporary reprieve for her, and her supporters are hoping for a positive outcome when the matter is taken up again in February.

Legal and Political Ramifications

The result of this case will have deep implications, not only for Khedkar but for the credibility of the UPSC examination process as well. Khedkar will face serious legal repercussions if proven guilty, and he may also be disqualified from appearing in the civil services examinations further. The case has also sparked questions regarding the effectiveness of the systems in place to check on the authenticity of the information furnished by the applicants and to prevent fraudulent practices.