Image credits - The Indian Express
Former probationer IAS officer Puja Khedkar has approached the Delhi High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with allegations of falsifying information in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination application for 2022. The court will hear her plea on August 9, 2024, before Justice Subramonium Prasad.
The trial court had previously denied Khedkar bail on August 1. The UPSC, on July 31, canceled her candidature and permanently barred her from future examinations. The Commission found Khedkar guilty of violating the Civil Services Examination-2022 Rules, stating she fraudulently altered her identity to benefit from reserved categories.
A coordinate bench had recently dismissed Khedkar’s challenge to the cancellation of her candidature, noting that UPSC would officially communicate the cancellation order within two days. Khedkar contested the press release issued by UPSC, arguing she had not received the official order.
In denying bail, the trial court directed the investigating agency to broaden its probe into similar fraudulent activities by other candidates. Khedkar, who joined the Pune Collectorate for her probationary training in June, faces accusations of misusing quotas for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons With Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD).
The UPSC’s investigation revealed that Khedkar altered significant personal details, including her name and family details, to evade examination rules. An FIR has been registered, and she has been issued a show cause notice regarding her selection’s cancellation.