NEW DELHI: In a significant relief to former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee officer Puja Khedkar, accused of forging documents to obtain eligibility for the 2022 UPSC test, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that no coercive steps be taken against her until the next hearing on 14 February.
"No coercive steps be taken against the petitioner (Puja) till we hear the matter again, next on, 14 February," stated a two-judge bench of the apex court, led by Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.
The court issued notices to the Delhi government and others after hearing Khedkar's plea.
Khedkar had approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday, challenging the Delhi High Court's rejection of her anticipatory bail plea on 23 December last year. The plea pertained to allegations of providing false information to secure reservation benefits in the competitive examination.
During Wednesday's hearing, senior lawyer Siddharth Luthra, representing Khedkar, informed the bench that she had not been summoned for questioning by the police.
After hearing this, the bench noted, "Nothing has happened to her so far. No one has touched (her)."
The prosecution alleged that Khedkar fraudulently availed reservations meant for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and persons with benchmark disabilities to clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination.
Khedkar has vehemently denied the allegations and claimed innocence.
In her appeal, she argued that the First Information Report (FIR) disclosed offences based on documents and application forms already in the prosecution's possession. "Hence, no further custodial interrogation is required. Her detention is unnecessary, as the evidence is primarily documentary," she stated in her appeal.
The Delhi High Court, while rejecting her anticipatory bail plea in its December order, called it "a classic case of fraud with not only a constitutional body but the whole society and nation as a whole". Khedkar has termed the High Court's order erroneous.
Khedkar’s legal troubles began in July last year when the UPSC cancelled her candidature and barred her from future exams, accusing her of perpetrating fraud against the commission and the public.
The case against Khedkar includes charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Information Technology (IT) Act, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.
The FIR, registered by the Delhi Police, is based on allegations that Khedkar exploited the system to fraudulently secure additional exam attempts and reservations. The UPSC, which filed the complaint in July, stated that her alleged actions compromised the integrity of the civil services examination and eroded public trust.
Khedkar, in her appeal, said she belongs to the Vanjari community, categorised as OBC, and possesses an OBC caste certificate issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer, Pathravi, Ahmednagar District. She stated that from 2012 to 2017, she took five attempts in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) as an OBC candidate.
She further explained that with the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, she became eligible to appear as a PwBD candidate under categories (a) and (d) of Section 34(1) of the Act. Accordingly, she appeared in the CSE as a PwBD candidate from 2018.
Khedkar also alleged that while posted in Pune, she was sexually harassed by the District Collector, Suhas Divase. She accused him of abusing his position and authority to exploit her due to her probationary status.
She stated, "The petitioner complained against the District Collector to the Chief Secretary. Meanwhile, Divase submitted a report to the Additional Chief Secretary regarding the petitioner's seating arrangements, use of a private vehicle, and recommended her transfer from Pune. This report was also circulated widely on social media, harming the petitioner's goodwill."