NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the severity of charges against former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, asking if she had committed murder, as it granted her anticipatory bail in a case of alleged document forgery and misuse of reservation benefits in the 2022 UPSC civil services examination.
“What is the grave crime she (Khedkar) has committed? She is not a drug lord or a terrorist. She has not committed 302 (murder). She is not an NDPS offender. You should have a system or a software. You complete the investigation. She has lost everything and will not get a job anywhere,” said the two-judge bench of the top court, led by Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.
The bench granted her anticipatory bail while directing her to cooperate in the probe. The judges also rejected the investigating agency’s contention that Khedkar was not cooperating with the inquiry.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for Delhi Police, had earlier opposed the bail plea, arguing that the police needed continued custody of Khedkar to investigate the conspiracy.
The apex court passed its order after hearing Khedkar’s plea challenging a Delhi High Court order dated 23 December 2023, which had denied her anticipatory bail in the matter.
She had been accused of submitting false documents to claim reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) categories.
The Supreme Court had earlier extended interim protection to Khedkar until 21 May. In her appeal before the top court, she contended that the offences mentioned in the FIR were based entirely on documents already available with the prosecution.
“Hence, no further custodial interrogation is required. Her detention is unnecessary, as the evidence is primarily documentary,” she said.
Khedkar, a former IAS trainee officer, has denied the allegations and asserted that she belongs to the Vanjari community, classified as OBC. She said she holds an OBC caste certificate issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer of Pathravi, Ahmednagar district.
From 2012 to 2017, she took five attempts at the civil services examination as an OBC candidate. After the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, came into effect, she became eligible to apply as a PwBD candidate and appeared under that category since 2018.
Her legal troubles began in July 2023 when the UPSC cancelled her candidature and barred her from future examinations, alleging that she had committed fraud against the commission and the public.
The FIR filed by Delhi Police includes charges under the Indian Penal Code, the Information Technology Act, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. The UPSC, in its criminal complaint filed in July 2023, said her alleged actions compromised the integrity of the civil services examination and eroded public trust.
Khedkar further claimed in her appeal that while posted in Pune, she was sexually harassed by Suhas Divase, the then District Collector, who allegedly exploited her probationary status.
“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 goodwill of the Petitioner,” she said.