New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday (November 28) reserved its order on an anticipatory bail plea filed by sacked former probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar in a case registered against her on a complaint filed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for allegedly cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits.
Justice Chandra Dhari Singh, while reserving the order, said that the interim protection from arrest granted to her earlier by the court would continue in the meantime.
High Court on August 12 granted Khedkar interim protection from arrest
The High Court had on August 12 granted interim protection from arrest to Khedkar and the interim protection was extended by the court from time to time.
“Heard both sides. Judgement reserved,” the High Court said,
The Delhi police and UPSC opposed Khedkar’s plea seeking anticipatory bail.
Khedkar’s custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the conspiracy, Delhi Police argued
The counsel representing the Delhi Police earlier argued before the High Court that that Khedkar, while attempting the civil services examination, “concealed facts” that she was otherwise not eligible to write and argued that her custodial interrogation was necessary to unearth the “conspiracy” and the involvement of other persons.
Khedkar’s custodial interrogation was not required, counsel told High Court
The counsel representing Khedkar had opposed the submissions made by the Delhi Police and argued that her custodial interrogation was not required as all her records were available with the authorities.
Khedkar is accused of cheating, wrongly availing quota benefits
Khedkar is accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits. The Delhi Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Khedkar on a complaint registered by the UPSC, which cancelled Khedkar’s candidature on July 31 and debarred her from future exams. The UPSC has also alleged that she committed perjury by making a false statement in relation to her plea seeking anticipatory bail.
Khedkar, who has denied allegations levelled against her, had moved the High Court against an order of the trial court refusing to grant her anticipatory bail.
