The Supreme Court of India has extended interim relief to Puja Khedkar, a former probationary IAS officer from Maharashtra, in a case where she faces charges of submitting false certificates to fraudulently avail reserved category benefits and bypass limits for Civil Services Examination (CSE) attempts.
The court’s extension of the protection follows a request from the Delhi Police for more time to submit a counter affidavit in the matter.
Supreme Court Extends Interim Protection
On Friday, a Bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and S.C. Sharma decided to extend the operation of an earlier interim order that prevents any coercive action against Khedkar.
The Bench also instructed her to continue cooperating with the ongoing investigation into the alleged fraudulent activities. The next hearing is scheduled for March 18.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the Delhi Police, had sought additional time to file the necessary counter affidavit. Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Khedkar, assured the court that his client was “willing and available” to cooperate with the probe initiated by the Delhi Police.
Delhi High Court Dismissed Khedkar
Previously, the Delhi High Court dismissed Khedkar’s pre-arrest bail petition, vacating an earlier order that had shielded her from arrest. On December 15, 2024, the court ruled that there was a strong prima facie case against her, stating that custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the facts surrounding the alleged offenses.
The High Court also noted that Khedkar had misrepresented her identity, including changing her name and her parents’ names, which allowed her to bypass the UPSC’s standard checks on the number of attempts taken.
In September 2024, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) canceled her selection, and the Centre dismissed her from the IAS with immediate effect. Additionally, the UPSC barred her from taking the CSE examination for life.
Delhi Police Orders Wider Investigation
The scope of the investigation has expanded to determine whether other candidates, recommended by the UPSC, might have fraudulently availed of quota benefits without entitlement.
Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala directed the Delhi Police to probe this further. A trial court had also asked the investigating agency to examine whether Khedkar received any internal assistance from within the UPSC.
Financial Discrepancies
Further investigations have brought Khedkar’s family wealth into question. It was discovered that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, owned property worth approximately Rs 40 crore.
This raised doubts about Khedkar’s eligibility for the non-creamy layer OBC quota, which she had allegedly used to gain an unfair advantage in her exam attempts.
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