New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Delhi Police not to arrest former probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Puja Khedkar till August 21 in a case lodged against her on a complaint by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for allegedly clearing the civil services exam by committing fraud.
High Court granted Khedkar relief while hearing her plea against a trial court order
Justice Subramonium Prasad gave the relief to Khedkar while hearing her plea challenging a Delhi court order rejecting her plea seeking anticipatory bail. Khedkar had moved the trial court seeking anticipatory bail, saying that she faces “immediate threat of arrest” and sought anticipatory bail in the case.
“In the facts of the present case, this court is of the opinion the petitioner (Khedkar) need not be arrested till the next date of hearing (August 21),” Justice Prasad said.
The High Court also issued notice to the UPSC and Delhi Police on Khedkar’s plea challenging the trial court order.
The matter would be further heard on August 21.
Trial court dismissed Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea on August 1
A sessions court in the city refused to grant Khedkar anticipatory bail on August 1, saying that there are serious allegations against her which “require a thorough investigation”. The trial court, while rejecting Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea, also directed the Delhi Police to widen its probe and to also investigate if anyone from inside the UPSC helped her and also investigate if the benefits under OBC and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) quotas without entitlement have been availed by other persons also.
Delhi Police recently registered a vase against Khedkar
The Delhi Police recently registered a cheating case against former probationary IAS on a complaint by the UPSC alleging she “fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father’s & mother’s name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address.”
