The decks are cleared for arrest of controversial dismissed trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar after a Delhi court on Thursday denied anticipatory bail to her. She has been accused of “misrepresenting and falsifying facts” in her Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination 2022 application.
The denial of anticipatory bail comes with a day after the UPSC, which conducts the civil services examination, cancelled her provisional candidature of Khedkar and permanently debarred her from all the future exams/selections.
Denying the anticipatory bail plea of Khedkar, Patiala House Court Judge Devender Kumar Jangala asked the Delhi Police to find out whether an insider from the complainant (UPSC) helped the applicant (Puja Khedkar).
The court also asked to widened the probe in the case and ordered the Delhi Police to investigate if other persons have availed benefits of quotas under OBC and PwD without entitlement.
“The investigation agency needs to widen the scope of the investigation. The agency is directed to find out the candidates recommended [by the UPSC] in recent past who have availed benefits beyond permissible age limit under OBC quota and those who availed Persons with Benchmark Disabilities benefits despite not being entitled to it,” the Court ordered.
As per UPSC, Khedkar was found “guilty of acting in contravention of the provisions of the Civil Services Examination-2022 Rules”. The judge had on Wednesday reserved the order after hearing arguments on the application filed by Khedkar, who claimed through her lawyer that she has “imminent threat of arrest”.