Relief for Puja Khedkar: Delhi HC grants interim protection from arrest to former IAS trainee till August 21
By Vinaykumar Patil | First Published Aug 12, 2024, 12:26 PM ISTDelhi High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and misusing quotas. The court's decision, until August 21, 2024, comes after a trial court denied her bail. Delhi Police and UPSC have been asked to respond.
Delhi High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and misusing OBC and disability quotas. The court’s order provides Khedkar a reprieve until August 21, 2024, amid allegations of fraud related to her civil services examination application.
Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice to both the Delhi Police and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), instructing them to file their responses regarding Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea. In his remarks, Justice Prasad stated that, based on the current information, Khedkar’s immediate arrest did not seem necessary.
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The court’s decision comes after a trial court had previously denied Khedkar’s anticipatory bail request. The trial court had cited serious allegations and the need for a thorough investigation. However, Justice Prasad criticized the trial court’s ruling for lacking adequate discussion on why bail should not be granted, noting that the decision appeared overly focused on the severity of the allegations without sufficient examination of the bail request.
Khedkar had approached the High Court challenging the trial court’s order, arguing that she faced an imminent threat of arrest. The High Court’s decision to grant interim relief allows Khedkar to avoid arrest until the next hearing.
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The High Court has asked the Delhi Police and UPSC to respond to Khedkar’s plea, which challenges the necessity of her arrest to uncover the alleged conspiracy. The matter will be further reviewed on August 21, when the court will assess whether to extend the interim protection or make other determinations regarding Khedkar’s bail.
In its previous ruling, the trial court had also instructed the Delhi Police to expand its investigation to determine if any internal assistance was provided by UPSC officials and if other individuals had improperly benefited from the OBC and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) quotas.
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