NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday extended the interim protection for former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee officer Puja Khedkar until April 15. She is accused of forging documents to gain eligibility for the 2022 UPSC examination.
"No coercive action should be taken against her until the next hearing on April 15. Let the interim protection continue. We will list the matter for further hearing on April 15," stated a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.
The apex court also questioned why the Delhi Police had not completed its investigation, especially since Khedkar had stated in an affidavit that she was willing to cooperate.
“You must expedite this investigation," Justice Nagarathna told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the Delhi Police.
During the previous hearing on Tuesday, ASG Raju had sought additional time to file a response, which the court granted.
The bench emphasised the importance of identifying the source from which Khedkar allegedly obtained the forged certificates. However, the court noted that this did not necessitate her being kept in custody.
Khedkar's counsel contested the allegations of forgery, arguing that she was diagnosed with low-vision disability only in 2018, and since then, she has attempted the UPSC exam three times.
The counsel also stated that her attempts as a disabled candidate had not yet been exhausted.
In response, the Supreme Court clarified that Khedkar could not claim separate attempts as both an "able candidate" and a "disabled candidate."
The bench posted Khedkar's plea for further hearing on April 15 after her counsel requested additional time to file a response to an affidavit from the Delhi government.
Earlier, on January 15, the Supreme Court had granted significant relief to Khedkar, who had been accused of forging documents to obtain eligibility for the 2022 UPSC examination.
The Court had issued notices to the Delhi government and other concerned parties to file their replies after hearing Khedkar's plea.
Khedkar had approached the Supreme Court, challenging a decision by the Delhi High Court, which had denied her anticipatory bail on December 23, 2022. The High Court’s order was related to the accusations that Khedkar had fraudulently sought reservation benefits for the UPSC exam.
The prosecution alleged that Khedkar had fraudulently availed reservation meant for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and persons with Benchmark Disabilities to gain an unfair advantage in the UPSC exam. Khedkar, however, vehemently denied these allegations and claimed her innocence.
In her appeal to the Supreme Court, Khedkar argued that the FIR filed against her primarily relied on documents and application forms already in possession of the prosecution, and therefore, no custodial interrogation was required.
The Delhi High Court had dismissed her anticipatory bail plea in December, stating that her case represented a "classic fraud" not only against a constitutional body but against society and the nation as a whole.
Khedkar challenged this ruling, calling it erroneous. Her legal troubles began in July 2022 when the UPSC canceled 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 exam attempts and reservations. The UPSC filed a criminal complaint in July 2022, claiming that her actions compromised the integrity of the civil services examination and eroded public trust.
Khedkar, in her appeal, stated that she belongs to the Vanjari community, which is categorized as OBC, and that she had a valid OBC caste certificate issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer of Pathravi, District Ahmednagar. She also noted that from 2012 to 2017, she appeared for the UPSC exam five times as an OBC candidate. After the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, Khedkar became eligible to appear as a PwBD (Person with Benchmark Disabilities) candidate and had been attempting the UPSC exam in this category since 2018.
Additionally, Khedkar claimed that while posted in Pune, she was sexually harassed by Suhas Divase, the District Collector of Pune. She alleged that Divase abused his position and attempted to exploit her due to her probationary status. Khedkar further claimed that she lodged a complaint against Divase with the Chief Secretary, but he responded by recommending her transfer from Pune and circulating a report on social media, which harmed her reputation.
