SC orders no coercive action against Ex-IAS trainee Puja Khedkar after Delhi HC setback for pre-arrest bail
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered no coercive action against former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee officer Puja Khedkar, accused of fraudulently availing reservation benefits under the OBC and disability quotas in the civil services examination.
FollowThe Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered no coercive action against former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee officer Puja Khedkar who has been accused of fraudulently availing reservation benefits under the OBC and disability quotas in the civil services examination. The top court also issued a notice to the Delhi government on the plea of Kedkar challenging the Delhi High Court order rejecting her anticipatory bail plea.
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma issued notice to the Delhi government and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Khedkar's plea seeking anticipatory bail.
Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra appearing for Puja Khedkar, said, "There are serious findings against her in the High Court order. If this matter goes to trial, there is a good likelihood of conviction because of the findings mentioned in the High Court order."
The Supreme Court has posted the matter for hearing on February 14 and ordered that till then no coercive action shall be taken against her.
Puja Kedkar had moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High court order rejecting her pre-arrest bail plea. In her petition before the Supreme Court, Khedkar called the high court order "erroneous".
The UPSC revoked Khedkar's selection as an IAS officer and even banned her from appearing for the civil services examination in future after a probe proving the accusations of misrepresenting information in her application for the Civil Services Examination, 2022, to get reservation benefits.
UPSC has said that Khedkar had attempted the civil services exam more than the six times permitted for a general category candidate by changing her and her parents' names, making the violation harder to detect.
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