NEW DELHI: Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee Puja Khedkar has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking the Union Public Service Commission’s decision to cancel her candidature for allegedly misusing reservation provisions.
The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear her plea on August 7. Khedkar stands accused of fraudulently claiming benefits under the reservations designated for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities to clear the highly competitive UPSC examination.
The controversy escalated on July 31, when the UPSC announced the cancellation of Khedkar's selection in the civil services. The Commission's decision not only nullified her current appointment but also imposed a lifetime ban on her participation in any future UPSC exams.
Last Thursday, Additional Sessions Judge of Delhi court Devender Kumar Jangala not only rejected her anticipatory bail plea but also directed Delhi Police to expand its probe to uncover if others had similarly abused these quotas.
“The investigation agency needs to widen the scope of the probe. The agency is directed to identify candidates recommended by UPSC in recent years who have availed of attempts beyond permissible limits, obtained OBC (non-creamy layer) benefits despite ineligibility, or claimed PwD benefits without entitlement,” the judge said.
The court also told cops to probe whether any UPSC officials had helped Khedkar in her fraudulent activities. The probe was initiated following a complaint from UPSC.
